A group of Twitter accounts called the “American blondes” has been exposed as fake profiles created to support the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the upcoming COP28 climate summit.
These accounts, with names like Ben, Brianna, Emma, Caitlin, and Chloe, claim to be optimistic about the UAE’s efforts in tackling climate change. However, researchers have found that their profile pictures were generated using artificial intelligence (AI), and their names, locations, and environmental credentials cannot be verified anywhere else online.
This activity on Twitter is known as “astroturfing,” a tactic used to manipulate public opinion by creating fake movements. Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), a coalition of non-governmental groups, conducted a digital analysis and discovered that the “blonde” accounts were made in a short span of time and posted similar messages simultaneously. They also retweeted posts from the UAE Embassy in Washington.
Although summit organizers have not commented on the issue, an unnamed spokesperson mentioned in the Guardian newspaper stated that the fake accounts were created by external actors unrelated to COP28 and were intended to discredit the summit and the climate process.
Lawmakers from the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), as well as campaigners, have demanded the resignation of Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 Chief. They argue that Jaber’s position as the head of the state-owned oil company ADNOC creates a conflict of interest when leading discussions on reducing carbon emissions.
However, Jaber has received support from COP parties, including US Climate Envoy John Kerry, who called for the rapid development of renewable energy and acknowledged the need to reduce fossil fuel usage.
The Twitter campaign portrayed Jaber as committed to addressing the climate crisis. For instance, when a campaigner expressed concerns about the UAE-hosted COP28 hindering the transition away from fossil fuels, several fake accounts responded, praising Jaber’s leadership and dedication to climate action.
The Centre for Climate Reporting (CCR) also faced a similar response when it criticized Jaber’s team for “greenwashing” his role at ADNOC on Wikipedia. Several pro-UAE accounts, claiming to be young non-Emiratis concerned about climate change and human rights, expressed support for Jaber.
Researchers discovered that some of these accounts used stock photos or AI-generated profile pictures, which were easily identifiable through reverse-image searches. Some accounts even changed their names or biographies after being flagged.
Analysts have identified at least 28 accounts involved in this campaign to promote the UAE, displaying suspicious tweeting patterns. Digital Disinformation Analyst, Marc Owen Jones, shared a list of 93 accounts involved in “astroturfing”, with some created over two years. Identifying the responsible parties behind such operations is challenging, according to Jones. Twitter has previously removed accounts related to state-backed information operations in Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, prior to Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform.
Jamie Henn, Director of the campaign group, Fossil Free Media, described the scale of this disinformation campaign as unparalleled in his ten years of observing UN climate talks.