US officials say Russia used unwitting Americans to spread election disinformation
WASHINGTON: A senior Kremlin intelligence official said Monday that the Kremlin is turning to Americans who are unaware of the incident and a Russian-based public relations firm to spread disinformation about the US presidential race, detailing the latest attempt by America's opponents to shape public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.
The warning comes after U.S. politics have been turbulent in recent weeks, forcing Russia, Iran and China to redact some details of their propaganda plans. What hasn't changed, intelligence officials say, is their determination to plant false and provocative claims about U.S. democracy on the internet 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 come from fellow Americans or originates in the United States,” said an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity under rules set by the director’s office.
Officials say Russia remains the biggest threat in terms of election disinformation, while there are indications that Iran is expanding its efforts and that China is moving cautiously toward 2024.
Kremlin-linked groups are increasingly hiring Russian-based marketing and communications firms to outsource the creation of digital propaganda while also covering their tracks, officials said during a news briefing.
The two companies were targeted in new US sanctions announced in March, officials said, after the Russian companies created fake websites and social media profiles to spread disinformation about the Kremlin.
False information may target candidates or voters, or controversial issues in the United States, such as immigration, crime, or the war in Gaza.
The ultimate goal, however, is to get Americans to spread disinformation about Russia without questioning the source. Officials say people are more likely to trust and post information they believe to be from domestic news sources. Fake websites designed to mimic U.S. news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles are just two of the ways.
In some cases, Americans, American tech companies and the media have willingly amplified and replicated the Kremlin’s messages.
“Foreign influencers are getting better at hiding their hands and getting Americans to do the same,” said one official who spoke with FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials.
Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said last month that he was concerned the United States could be targeted more by foreign disinformation this year than before the 2020 election. On Monday, he said warnings from intelligence officials showed the U.S. election was “in the spotlight of actors from around the world.”
It also underscores the degree to which foreign actors – particularly Russia – knowingly and consciously rely on Americans to promote foreign narratives in the United States,” Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said in a statement.
As part of its threat watch, officials who track foreign disinformation said they had issued twice as many warnings to political candidates, government leaders, election officials and others targeted by foreign groups in the 2024 election cycle as they did in the 2022 election.
Officials have not disclosed how many warnings have been issued or who has received them, but said the significant increase reflects growing interest in America's presidential opponents and the government's increased efforts to identify and warn about such threats.
Such warnings are intended to enable the target to take action to protect themselves and make corrective actions if necessary.
Russia and other countries are quickly changing their tune to capitalize on some of the recent developments in the presidential race, including the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
For example, after the attack on Trump, Russian intelligence agencies quickly amplified claims that Democrats’ rhetoric led to the shooting, and even baseless conspiracy theories suggesting that Biden or the Ukrainian government orchestrated the attempt.
“These pro-Russian voices are trying to link the assassination attempt to Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine,” the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, which tracks Russian disinformation, concluded.
Intelligence officials had previously concluded that Russian propaganda appeared to be designed to support Trump, and the officials said Monday they had not changed that assessment.
Reducing support for Ukraine remains a key goal of Russian disinformation, and Trump has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and is seen as less supportive of NATO.
Despite widespread disinformation in the lead-up to Taiwan's recent elections, China has been more cautious when confronting the United States. Beijing could use disinformation to target parliamentary elections or other elections where candidates hold strong views about China, but officials said Monday that China is not expected to try to influence the presidential election.
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xia Feng said on Monday that his government has no intention of interfering in US politics.
However, Iran has become more aggressive. National Intelligence Director Avril Haines said earlier this month that the Iranian government is secretly supporting U.S. protests over Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iranian-linked groups have posed as activists online, incited protests and provided financial support to some protest groups, Haines said.
Iranian officials have said Iran opposes candidates who could escalate tensions with Tehran. That explanation is consistent with Trump, whose administration scrapped the nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions and ordered the assassination of a top Iranian general.
Messages left with representatives from the Russian and Iranian governments were not immediately responded to Monday.
