1450 Internet army

1450 Internet army, or 1450 army is a term for internet commentators who are alleged to be hired by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in order to sway public opinion or to propagandize in their favour.

Etymology

The term originated from the 2019 Council of Agriculture budget, which included NT$14.50 million for correcting information online. Some suspect that these funds were used to promote internet commentators who give the party favourable coverage and to suppress pro-China ideologies.^{[citation needed]} This led to discontent from the political parties Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party^{[citation needed]}. Some who believe that these funds are used for disinformation refer to those who support the party online as the "1450 internet army".^[1]^{[unreliable source]}

Campaigns in mainland China

Weibo down by 30% during blackout in Taiwan

In March 2022, during the blackout in Kaohsiung, Weibo's hit rate dropped by 30%, which shows the huge amount and influence of 1450 Internet army activities in mainland Chinese internet platforms.^[2]^{[verification needed]}

Campaigns/attacks against opposition voices in Taiwan

Against Kuomintang before and during the 2020 presidential election

In 2019, KMT legislator Lo Chih-chiang received an anonymous report, then revealed that the 1450 bots had been attacking the KMT through directly attacking the then Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu and Foxconn chairman Terry Gou; and dividing the blue campaign by acting as fans of Han.^[3]^{[unreliable source]}

During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, the 1450 internet army launched campaigns to call COVID-19 the “Wuhan pneumonia” long after the virus acquired its proper scientific terminology and wage intensive media attacks on individuals, especially journalists and political commentators, who expressed doubt or critique in public about the government’s control over the interpretation of the pandemic or policies implemented to prevent its spread.^[4]^{[unreliable source]}

Against opposite political ideologies within the DPP

In June 2022, it was revealed that Taipei city councillor Miao Poya had hired several bots to attack other members within the DPP, where one of the bots named "bryant780417" was revealed to be supporting Miao and criticizing other DPP lawmakers through using multiple social media accounts.^[5]^{[unreliable source]}

References

↑ Chêng, Wên Lan. "Internet army and hackers (網軍與駭客)" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). GRI news. Retrieved 19 July 2023.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
↑ Lai, Jun-You (4 March 2022). "Power outage in Taiwan resulting in internet army malfunction? Weibo speaks out (停電沒網軍「流量暴跌」？微博出手了)" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). SET News. Retrieved 19 July 2023.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
↑ Chao, Yu Ning (6 May 2019). "1450 dark corps of cyber army? Lo Chih-chiang reveals the 3 major characteristics of the "Han Kuo-yu" online army (1450的網軍暗黑兵團？羅智強再揭「假韓粉」網軍的3大特點)" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Storm news. Retrieved 19 July 2023.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
↑ Wang, Meiqin (2022). "Introduction: Political Control and Censorship in Taiwan [from Mass Burial: A Case of Artivism in Taiwan]". FIeld- A Journal of Socially-engaged Art Criticism (22). Retrieved 4 August 2023.
↑ Luo, Li Bang (17 June 2022). "Bot caught? "bryant780417" claims to be DPP party member, one of the 1450 bots: The DPP should explain (抓到了？bryant780417自承是黨工、1450 媒體人：民進黨要不要自清？)" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Storm news. Retrieved 19 July 2023.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)