Political disinformation targeting voters on Chinese social media, particularly during the federal election campaign, has increased sharply over the past five years. Research from the University of Melbourne, led by Dr. Fan Yang, highlights numerous instances of misleading information on Mandarin platforms, especially WeChat and RedNote, affecting perceptions of major political parties.
WeChat remains the dominant social media platform for Chinese Australians, with over 70% of the community using it. Meanwhile, the rise of RedNote—China’s equivalent to Instagram—has further facilitated the spread of disinformation, particularly narratives aimed at migrant communities. Misleading content often arises from entities vested in areas like migration, real estate, and education.
News on WeChat is typically curated by third-party outlets translating reliable reports from renowned global sources; however, the accuracy can suffer due to intentional mistranslations. A survey revealed that nearly 30% of Chinese Australians encountered fabricated news during the 2022 federal election campaign, and 34% expressed uncertainty about their ability to identify misinformation.
Recent alarming posts have circulated on WeChat, including one claiming that tens of thousands of Chinese nationals may face deportation—a narrative erroneously attributing blame to both major parties. Dr. Yang notes that while disinformation has existed for some time, the intensification of the election cycle has worsened the situation as businesses leverage politically charged content for profit.
The shifting landscape of social media has also seen a surge of users flocking to RedNote due to uncertainty surrounding TikTok, escalating concerns about the misinformation circulating there, which Dr. Yang states is often even more pervasive than that found on WeChat.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is aware of disinformation on RedNote, having received multiple reports from users regarding electoral content. They are prepared to investigate flagged posts and engage with social media platforms as necessary.
A large portion of the misinformation is driven financially by migration, real estate, and educational businesses that manipulate campaign rhetoric to exploit the fears of migrant communities for profit. For instance, a recent video on RedNote inaccurately portrayed the Immigration Minister’s intentions regarding visa cancellations, urging migrants to secure permanent residency before anticipated policy changes.
While the AEC does not have a presence on these social media platforms, they can conduct investigations based on referrals. In contrast, the Australian Communications and Media Authority does not formally regulate misinformation and remains uninvolved in monitoring it during election periods.