HANOI ¨C In Vietnam, where the state is fighting a fierce online battle against political dissent, social media ¡°influencers¡± are more likely to be soldiers than celebrities.
Force 47, as the Vietnamese army¡¯s online information warfare unit is known, consists of thousands of soldiers who, in addition to their normal duties, are tasked with setting up, moderating and posting on pro-state Facebook groups, to correct ¡°wrong views¡± online.
According to a Reuters review of provincial-level state media reports and broadcasts by the army¡¯s official television station, Force 47 has since its inception in 2016 set up hundreds of Facebook groups and pages, and published thousands of pro-government articles and posts.
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