Tencent Cracks Down on Sybil Accounts, Shutting Down 3.2 Million QQ Accounts in Q2

CNBC AI News, July 28th – Tencent’s QQ security center announced today a significant crackdown on malicious online activity. In the second quarter of 2025, QQ took action against a staggering 3.2 million accounts, targeting everything from coordinated inauthentic behavior (“astroturfing”) to online scams and the proliferation of harmful slang and internet memes.

The company is taking aim at what it calls “water armies” – networks that manipulate online trends and create a false sense of popularity. These coordinated efforts, often involving the artificial inflation of likes and positive reviews, can distort genuine engagement and unfairly boost subpar content, ultimately degrading the user experience.

Tencent’s measures underscore the growing concern over the insidious influence of these ‘water armies’, which can undermine the integrity of online discourse and mislead consumers.

The crackdown extended beyond individual accounts. In the second quarter alone, QQ platform purged over 30,000 groups associated with coordinated inauthentic behavior, removing over 580,000 pieces of content linked to these activities.

Moreover, QQ is actively combating the spread of harmful online subcultures, particularly those impacting minors. An initiative is underway to specifically target negative influences like inappropriate internet jargon and trends that may be detrimental to the well-being of younger users.

The platform removed over 200 groups related to these trends in Q2, deleting over 30,000 posts and comments violating guidelines.

Alongside fighting ‘water armies’, Tencent is wrestling with the rapidly evolving threat of online fraud. Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, employing professional, scenario-based techniques that render them deceptively convincing.

Emerging scam tactics such as “brushing” scams and impersonation schemes pose a significant risk to users.

QQ reports having disabled 2.5 million fraud-related accounts and groups in the past quarter. The zero-tolerance policy against online scams reflects the company’s commitment to user safety.