Last Updated on: 1st July 2023, 12:52 am
Fake “American Blondes” Tout UAE At Climate Summit
A group of Twitter accounts dubbed “American Blondes” have been exposed as fake profiles created in support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the upcoming COP28 climate summit.
Featuring names such as Ben, Brianna, Emma, Caitlin and Chloe, these reports claim to be optimistic about the UAE’s efforts to combat climate change. However, the researchers found that their profile pictures were created using artificial intelligence (AI) and that their names, locations and environmental features cannot be verified anywhere else online.
This activity on Twitter is known as “astroturfing,” a tactic used to manipulate public opinion through fake moves. Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), a coalition of non-governmental groups, conducted a digital analysis and found that the “blonde” accounts were created in a short space of time while also posting similar messages. They also retweeted messages from the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Washington.
Although the summit organizers did not comment on the matter, an anonymous spokesman mentioned in The Guardian newspaper said the fake accounts were created and targeted by external actors unrelated to COP28 to discredit the summit and the climate process.
United States (US) and European Union (EU) lawmakers and activists have called for the resignation of Sultan Al Jaber, the head of COP28. They argue that Jaber’s position as head of state-owned oil company ADNOC creates a conflict of interest by advancing talks to cut carbon emissions.
However, Jaber received support from COP parties, including US Climate Commissioner John Kerry, who called for the rapid development of renewable energy and recognized the need to reduce fossil fuel use.
The Twitter campaign described Jaber as determined to tackle the climate crisis. For example, when an activist raised concerns that the UAE-hosted COP28 would hamper the transition away from fossil fuels, several fake reports responded by praising Jaber’s leadership and commitment to climate action.
The Center for Climate Reporting (CCR) also faced a similar reaction when it criticized Jaber’s team for “greenwashing” his article on ADNOC on Wikipedia. Several pro-UAE accounts claiming to be non-Emirati youth concerned about climate change and human rights have expressed support for Jaber.
Researchers found that some of these accounts used stock photos or AI-generated profile pictures, which could be easily identified through reverse image searches. Some accounts even changed their name or bio after the report.
Analysts have identified at least 28 accounts involved in this UAE advertising campaign posting suspicious tweet patterns. Digital disinformation analyst Marc Owen Jones has published a list of 93 accounts involved in “astroturfing,” some of which were created in the space of two years.
According to Jones, it is difficult to identify those responsible for such operations. Twitter previously removed accounts linked to state-backed information operations in Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates, before Elon Musk took over the platform.
Jamie Henn, head of campaign group Fossil Free Media, described the scale of this disinformation campaign as unprecedented in his decade-long monitoring of the UN climate talks.
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