Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party says China is stepping up disinformation and intimidation tactics as local elections approach, which is bad news for voters trying to sort fact from fake news.

• The DPP's China Affairs Department says a growing "ocean current" grassroots movement has drawn heavy attention from Beijing, prompting China to shift from quiet infiltration toward more open threats.
• Tactics have expanded from low-cost tour groups and social networking to directly threatening supporters and targeting the families of candidates with political retaliation.
• The party is warning the public to watch for fake polls, deceptively edited video, and AI deepfakes pushing fabricated scandals, affairs, or false reports that candidates are dropping out, especially content urging people to "share immediately."
• Taiwan's National Security Bureau says government websites are facing millions of daily intrusion attempts, with attacks spiking since June, which officials suspect is reconnaissance tied to the election.
• The DPP says the goal of Beijing's pressure campaign is to undermine Taiwanese trust in democracy itself, and insists only Taiwan's own voters should decide the election.

Outlook: Expect disinformation and intimidation efforts to intensify as the November 28 vote nears, with authorities urging the public to verify sensational claims before sharing them.