Study says that big tech companies are involved in propaganda campaigns against Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine

According to the South China Morning Post, a study published by scientists at China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) claimed that big tech companies such as Google, Twitter, and TikTok are involved in propaganda campaigns against Russia amidst its invasion of Ukraine. The study alleges that TikTok has joined Western tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google to offer a ‘cognitive war’ on Russia, which has undermined Russian troops’ morale and eroded Moscow’s international image. This is the first time that civilian hi-tech companies are being used for the so-called ‘cognitive warfare’ during a large-scale war.

The study, led by Ling Haifeng, a professor at the Army Engineering University of the PLA, listed almost 40 private entities from the internet, space, finance, and artificial intelligence sectors. The report defines cognitive warfare as an organised campaign aimed at manipulating the perceptions of targeted audiences and changing their decisions or behaviour. The team further noted that media-driven cognitive warfare, particularly based on mobile internet, has had a massive impact on the conflict.

The report also alleges that the United States and its allies have used social media platforms to highlight content showing Russia’s cruelty and acts, while Ukrainian politicians and forces have more friendly exposure. The companies listed in the study are being offered a platform for government agents to employ AI to create fake texts, images, and videos that ‘pushed the Russian army up against the gunpoint of public opinion.’

TikTok, which is the only Chinese-owned entity on the list, has faced intense scrutiny and criticism by the US and its allies since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine last year. Critics reportedly say that the short video platform is not taking enough measures to counter Russian influence. A report by a US-based organisation called Alliance for Securing Democracy noted that Russia’s state-run broadcaster RT had more TikTok followers than The New York Times. Additionally, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti’s top TikTok post this year gained over 5.6 million views, whereas its top Twitter post had fewer than 20,000 views.