Russia Relying on Unsuspecting Americans to Spread Election Scandal, US Officials Say
WASHINGTON: The Kremlin is turning to unsuspecting Americans and Russian public relations firms to spread disinformation about the US presidential race, a senior intelligence official said on Monday. , which detailed the latest effort by America's enemies to shape public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.
The warning comes after a turbulent few weeks in US politics that have forced Russia, Iran and China to revise some of the details of the propaganda playbook. What hasn't changed, intelligence officials say, is the willingness of these countries to flood the Internet with false and inflammatory statements about American democracy to undermine faith in the election.
“The American people should be aware that the content they read online – especially on social media – may be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to be from fellow Americans or from the United States,” he said. an officer of the Board of Directors. of National Intelligence who briefed reporters on anonymity in accordance with the rules established by the director's office.
Russia remains the biggest threat when it comes to election rigging, officials say, while there are signs that Iran is stepping up its efforts and China is moving cautiously toward 2024.
Kremlin-linked groups are increasingly hiring marketing and telecommunications companies in Russia to handle some of their digital propaganda work while also covering their tracks, officials said in an interview with the journalist.
Two such companies were hit by new US sanctions announced in March. Authorities said the two Russian companies created fake websites and social media profiles to spread defamation of the Kremlin.
Defamation can focus on candidates or elections, or on issues that are already the subject of debate in the United States, such as immigration, crime or the war in Gaza.
The ultimate goal, however, is to get Americans to spread Russian slander without questioning its origins. People can trust and repeat the news they believe is coming from local news sources, officials said. Fake websites designed to impersonate US news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles are just two ways.
In some cases, Americans, American technology companies and the media have amplified and spread the Kremlin's message.
“Foreign actors are getting better at hiding their hands, and getting Americans to do it,” said the official, who has spoken to officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. .
Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said last month that he was concerned that the United States could be vulnerable to foreign defamation this year if compared to before the 2020 election. On Monday, he said that warnings from intelligence officials show that the US election is “at the stage of bad actors around the world. “
“It also, troublingly, underscores the extent to which foreign actors — and Russia in particular — rely on unscrupulous and shrewd Americans to promote a foreign-friendly narrative in the United States,” Warner said. Virginia Democrat, in a statement.
As part of the threat, foreign defamation officials said they have doubled the number of warnings to political candidates, government officials, election boards and others have been targeted by foreign groups so far in the 2024 election cycle as in 2022.
Officials would not say how many warnings were issued, or who received them, but the large increase reflects interest in the presidential race by America's adversaries as well as increased government efforts. to identify and warn against such threats.
The warning is given so that the target can take steps to protect themselves and correct the record if necessary.
Russia and other countries are also moving quickly to take advantage of some of the recent developments in the presidential race, including the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as well as President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race. 'the race for vice president Kamala Harris.
After the Trump attack, for example, Russian disinformation agencies were quick to confirm claims that Democratic rhetoric led to the shooting, even baseless conspiracy theories that suggested Biden or the Ukrainian government were responsible. coordinated the experiment.
“These pro-Russian voices sought to link the assassination attempt to Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine,” concluded the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, which monitors Russian humiliation.
Intelligence officials have determined in the past that the Russian campaign was designed to support Trump, and officials said Monday that they have not changed that assessment.
Ending support for Ukraine remains a top target of Russian humiliation, and Trump has long praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and is seen as less supportive of NATO.
While China ran a false campaign ahead of Taiwan's recent election, the country has been increasingly wary that Beijing could use disinformation to target congressional races or the U.S. another ballot contest in which a candidate expressed strong views on China. But China is not expected to try to influence the presidential race, officials said Monday.
Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, said Monday that his government does not intend to interfere in American politics.
However, Iran has acted more aggressively. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said earlier this month that the Iranian government has been secretly supporting US protests over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. Iran-linked groups have posed as activists online, inciting protests and providing financial support to some protest groups, Haines said.
Iran opposes candidates who could escalate tensions with Tehran, officials say. That definition fits Trump, whose administration ended the nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions and ordered the assassination of an Iranian general.
Messages left with representatives from the Russian and Iranian governments were not immediately returned Monday.
