Russia Relies on Unsuspecting Americans to Spread Election Disinformation, US Officials Say
WASHINGTON: The Kremlin is turning to unsuspecting Americans and commercial public relations firms in Russia to spread disinformation about the US presidential race, senior intelligence officials said Monday, detailing the latest efforts by America’s adversaries to shape public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.
The warning comes after a tumultuous few weeks in U.S. politics that have forced Russia, Iran and China to revise some of the details of their propaganda playbook. What hasn’t changed, intelligence officials said, is the determination of these nations to pepper the Internet with false and incendiary claims about American democracy to undermine confidence in the election.
“The American public should be aware that content they read online, particularly on social media, may be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to be from fellow Americans or originates in the United States,” said an official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under rules set by the director’s office.
Officials have said Russia continues to pose the biggest threat in terms of election disinformation, while there are indications that Iran is stepping up its efforts and China is proceeding cautiously as it looks toward 2024.
Kremlin-linked groups are increasingly hiring Russia-based marketing and communications firms to outsource some of the work of creating digital propaganda while covering their own tracks, officials said at a briefing with reporters.
Two of those companies were targeted by new U.S. sanctions announced in March. Authorities say the two Russian companies created fake websites and social media profiles to spread Kremlin disinformation.
Disinformation can focus on candidates or voting, or on issues that are already being debated in the United States, such as immigration, crime, or the war in Gaza.
The ultimate goal, however, is to get Americans to spread Russian disinformation without questioning its origin. People are much more likely to trust and repost information they believe comes from a domestic source, officials said. Fake websites designed to mimic U.S. news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles are just two methods.
In some cases, Americans, tech companies and American media have willingly amplified and parroted the Kremlin's messages.
“Foreign actors who wield influence are getting better at hiding their cards and convincing Americans to do so,” said the official, who spoke alongside officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Sen. Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said last month that he fears the U.S. may be more vulnerable to foreign disinformation this year than it was before the 2020 election. He said Monday that the warning from intelligence officials shows that the U.S. election is “in the crosshairs of bad actors around the world.”
“This also disturbingly highlights the extent to which foreign actors, and Russia in particular, rely on both unwitting and witting Americans to promote foreign-aligned narratives in the United States,” Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said in a statement.
To gauge the threat, officials who monitor foreign disinformation say they have issued twice as many warnings to political candidates, government leaders, campaign offices and others targeted by foreign groups in the 2024 election cycle compared to the 2022 cycle.
Officials declined to say how many warnings were issued or who received them, but said the significant increase reflects growing interest in the presidential race from America’s adversaries, as well as increased government efforts to identify and warn of such threats.
Warnings are given so that victims can take measures to protect themselves and, if necessary, clarify the situation.
Russia and other countries are also rapidly shifting course to capitalize on some of the recent developments in the presidential race, including the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
For example, after the attack on Trump, Russian disinformation agencies quickly amplified claims that Democratic rhetoric had led to the shooting, or even baseless conspiracy theories suggesting that Biden or the Ukrainian government had orchestrated the attack.
“These pro-Russian voices have sought to link the assassination attempt to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” concluded the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, which monitors Russian disinformation.
Intelligence officials had previously determined that Russian propaganda appeared designed to support Trump; on Monday, officials said they had not changed their minds.
Eroding support for Ukraine remains a major target of Russian disinformation, and Trump has in the past praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and is seen as less supportive of NATO.
While China mounted a rampant disinformation campaign ahead of Taiwan’s recent election, the nation has been far more cautious when it comes to the United States. Beijing could use disinformation to target congressional races or other contests where a candidate has expressed strong views about China. But China is not expected to try to influence the presidential race, officials said Monday.
Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, said on Monday that his government has no intention of interfering in U.S. politics.
Iran, however, has taken a more aggressive stance. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said earlier this month that the Iranian government has secretly supported American protests over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Iranian-linked groups have posed as activists online, encouraged the protests and provided financial support to some protest groups, Haines said.
Iran opposes candidates who could increase tensions with Tehran, officials said. That description fits Trump, whose administration has ended a nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions and ordered the killing of a top Iranian general.
Messages left for representatives of the Russian and Iranian governments did not receive an immediate response on Monday.
