Taiwan flags rise in Chinese cyberattacks, warns of 'online troll army'

Information from news websites like Taipei Times (left) and Taiwan News are more important than ever after a recent Taiwanese report said it detected more than 10,000 ‘abnormal’ social media accounts including many on Facebook which have helped disseminate more than 1.5 million messages that the bureau deemed as disinformation.

Reuters
Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan government departments have increased by 17% so far this year compared to 2024, reaching an average of 2.8 million per day, data from the National Security Bureau showed.

The bureau warned that Beijing's "online troll army" was seeking to sow discord among Taiwanese.

Taiwan has repeatedly complained about what it sees as China's "grey-zone" tactics - from daily military drills to cyberattacks - at a time when Beijing is ramping up military and political pressure to force the democratically governed island to accept its sovereignty claims.

Taiwan's Government Service Network received an average of 2.8 million daily attacks so far this year, up from 2.4 million in 2024, according to Reuters calculations based on a report by the National Security Bureau.

MORE

ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT

NEWSWEEK: Foreign reps respond to Kirk disinformation accusations as 'anti-Russian hysteria'

THE MOSCOW TIMES: Russia Is Testing NATO With Drones and Disinformation. Here’s How the West Should Respond.

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: Foreign influencers are doing their best to spin the Charlie Kirk assassination