HRF condemns the recent coordinated digital attacks against UK-based Chinese activist @AppleNi1127. The attacks, which began shortly after she promoted an event to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, is believed to be spearheaded by a pro-regime bot on X.

The pro-regime bot targeted Apple, the founder of a prominent diaspora activist group @China_Deviants, with deepfake posts portraying her as a sexually promiscuous drug user and celebrating false claims that she had been violently attacked in London.

Despite submitting multiple complaints to X, the platform initially found no policy violation. The account was suspended only after The @Guardian raised questions about the case with X’s press office.

The online attacks are part of a broader campaign of CCP transnational repression targeting Apple and her family in China. HRF urges the UK government to strengthen protection for exiled communities facing transnational repression.