Chinese officials 'create 488m bogus social media posts a year'

Harvard researchers say leaked documents show bureaucrats fabricate positive posts to distract from criticism of government

The Chinese government is fabricating almost 490m social media posts a year in order to distract the public from criticising or questioning its rule, according to a study.

China's "Fifty Cent Party" - a legion of freelance online trolls so-named because they are believed to be paid 50 cents a post - has long been blamed for flooding the Chinese internet with pro-regime messages designed to defend and promote the ruling Communist party.