OpenAI banned a covert PRC-linked influence network using its models to mass-produce posts on the South China Sea and Hong Kong

Operation “Nine–emdash Line”: Regional influence activity

OpenAI's October 2025 report details a covert influence network, dubbed 'Nine-emdash Line,' that used ChatGPT to generate English and Cantonese social media posts. The content attacked Vietnam's environmental record in the South China Sea, smeared Philippine President Marcos, and discredited Hong Kong pro-democracy figures. The operators also used the models for recon—finding niche forums and generating Tibetan names for fake accounts—and sought advice on launching TikTok challenges to hijack trending hashtags. OpenAI banned the accounts; many X accounts were suspended. No technical link to the known 'Spamouflage' operation was found.

Why it matters: OpenAI's first public naming and dissection of a PRC-linked influence op, with concrete recon and cross-language generation details. Capped at 78 because it's a threat intel summary, not a product/model update — less pull for readers who only track technical progress.