Taiwan’s National Security Bureau warned about China-attributed false or disputed information before November’s local elections and said attacks on government agencies averaged 2.58 million a day.
From January through September, the NSB counted more than 2.5 million false or disputed online items it tied to China, versus more than 1.69 million in the corresponding period of 2025. It estimated an increase of about 48%. The bureau said the content dealt with energy, food security and defense policy, while featuring candidates’ platforms and images.
AI-generated videos, fabricated profiles, content farms and coordinated bursts of online comments were among the tactics the bureau listed. It said public relations firms and organized online groups helped amplify narratives also carried by Chinese official media.
The NSB said China collected information on Taiwan’s current affairs, candidates’ policies and polling through technology and human intelligence, then used AI to manipulate information aimed at affecting voter preferences and election outcomes. It said the campaign also sought to deepen divisions within Taiwanese society.
July had the highest monthly count of detected cyber threats, at 185.6 million, followed by 106.4 million in August. NSB data showed cyberattacks on government agencies averaged 2.58 million per day in the first nine months, with detected threats rising from June. The bureau said the activity may have involved intelligence gathering ahead of the election and preparations for harassment aimed at interfering in the vote.
Taiwan has repeatedly objected to what it calls China’s gray-zone pressure, including military drills and cyberattacks. The NSB framed its warning amid growing military and political pressure from Beijing to secure Taipei’s acceptance of China’s sovereignty claims.
A separate investigation by Reuters and Taipei-based research group IORG found Chinese state media had given wider exposure to Taiwanese critics of the governing Democratic Progressive Party, including public figures and politicians linked to the opposition Kuomintang.
The NSB sent its report to lawmakers this week. Taiwan’s local elections, which include mayoral and county magistrate races, are scheduled for November.
