'Industrial' Clickbait Disinformation Campaign Targets Australian Politics

• •Disinformation campaign from Vietnam targets Australian politics using AI-generated content.
• •Fake pages mimic fan accounts and spread false claims, exploiting social media algorithms.
• •Meta removed 13 pages linked to the campaign after AFP intervention.

A disinformation campaign originating from Vietnam is exploiting Australia's political climate by creating AI-generated articles on fake fan pages, such as 'Swimming Secrets' and 'Tennis Triumph'. These pages, which began in mid-2025, mix real news with fabricated claims, including false assertions about swimmer Mollie O'Callaghan and far-right politician Pauline Hanson. The misinformation aims to destabilize communities and foster distrust, reflecting the increasing polarization in Australian politics. Meta has removed 13 pages linked to this campaign after being alerted by AFP. Analysts note that the content is designed to exploit social media algorithms for profit, with some posts receiving thousands of shares. The campaign is part of a broader trend of click farming in Southeast Asia, where low operational costs facilitate such activities. Experts warn that this type of disinformation is a new challenge for Australia, which lacks robust policies to combat it.