Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has dismantled an extensive network of fake news websites operated by entities tied to pro-China influence campaigns. Dubbed Glassbridge, the network spanned hundreds of domains and presented itself as a consortium of independent news outlets, but its content heavily echoed narratives favorable to the political interests of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Since 2022, Google has blocked over 1,000 websites linked to Glassbridge from appearing in its search and news results. Google says that four PR firms—Shanghai Haixun Technology, Times Newswire, Durinbridge, and Shenzhen Bowen Media—are allegedly behind the network, collectively creating and disseminating propaganda disguised as independent news.

The Glassbridge campaign relied on a network of websites that mixed state-sponsored PRC content with conspiracy theories, press releases, and legitimate-sounding local news. The investigation revealed that these operations were largely outsourced, giving the campaign plausible deniability and obfuscating the true source of the propaganda.

According to Google, the most prolific of those PR companies is Shanghai Haixun Technology, responsible for over 600 domains removed from Google’s platforms. The firm, active since at least 2022, was also linked to numerous YouTube channels terminated for policy violations.

The campaign targeted audiences across a wide array of countries, including the US, Australia, Japan, Germany, India, and Brazil. It also extended to regions like Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Chinese-speaking diaspora. While content was tailored to local audiences, it frequently republished PRC state media narratives under the guise of independent journalism.

In addition to Glassbridge, the campaign included material linked to Dragonbridge, another pro-China influence operation previously identified as the most prolific actor in Google’s database.