Google Blocks Over 1,000 Pro-China Fake News Websites

The tech giant identified a coordinated influence operation by firms linked to the People's Republic of China, spreading inauthentic content through fake news sites.

• Google's Threat Intelligence Group removed more than 1,000 fake news websites tied to a pro-China influence operation named Glassbridge.
• Glassbridge consisted of four PR firms—Shanghai Haixun Technology, Times Newswire, Durinbridge, and Shenzhen Bowen Media—operating hundreds of domains posing as independent news outlets.
• The sites published narratives aligned with Chinese government interests, including territorial claims, COVID-19, and attacks on critics like Chinese virologist Yan Limeng.
• Google stated the operation leveraged PR firms to obscure the true source of the content, employing tactics beyond social media to target regional audiences globally.
• This action is part of Google's broader effort to combat deceptive practices, having previously removed millions of spam reviews and other inauthentic content.

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