OpenAI bans PRC-linked accounts using ChatGPT to generate comments on US tech policy and tariffs

“Tech and Tariffs” Campaign: Influence activity targeting US tech policy

OpenAI's June 2026 threat report details a banned cluster of ChatGPT accounts likely originating in China. The operators used Simplified Chinese prompts and VPNs to generate English comments and political cartoons criticizing US tariffs, rare earths, AI, and 5G policy. They instructed the model to depict only Trump, not Xi Jinping or China. The same cluster produced Chinese-language water army content attacking the US and Israel, amplifying anti-Jewish tropes, and harassing dissidents. OpenAI also linked these accounts to a separate X network that falsely claimed ChatGPT user data was compromised. The post does not disclose the exact number of banned accounts or the operators' specific institutional affiliation.

Why it matters: OpenAI's official threat report names a PRC-origin AI influence operation with concrete details and high topic sensitivity. Hits all three HKR axes, but it's a security incident report rather than a product/tech breakthrough, placing it in the 78-84 band per policy.