Russia is again interfering in the electoral process of the United States, introducing the necessary narratives into the online space of ordinary Americans, using technologies to influence public opinion. This is reported Associated Press, appealing to senior officials of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, who record attempts by Russian political technologists to shape public opinion before the 2024 elections.
The stormy events of recent weeks: Biden’s refusal to participate in the election race, the promotion of Kamala Harris to the role of the Democratic candidate, the attempt on Trump, the nomination of Jay D. Vance as a potential vice president from the Republicans – all this caused concern in the countries that are opponents of the United States and forced China, Iran and Russia to review approaches to conducting the propaganda game. Russia continues to pose the biggest threat when it comes to election disinformation, although there are signs that Iran is also expanding its information technology efforts.
It is about the development of conspiracy theories around the “assassination attempt” of Trump, which raises quite a few questions in the American public. The detected elements of fabricated content in the news reports about the attack during the rally prove once again that the technology has been worked out, which is now undergoing the stage of “collective formation of meaning” with the help of the media.
“One screen – two movies,” is how Republican Ron Basilian describes the online reaction to the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania. He is not talking about a questionable attack, but about a resonance that is very far from the event.
Misinformation is spread by online trolls, bots, and internet influencers who try to promote content related to attempted murder. Barriers to fake content are thin, so such claims could spread at scale, affecting the 2024 presidential election and potentially continuing to influence US politics for years to come.
Kremlin-linked groups are increasingly hiring marketing and communications companies based in Russia to outsource some of their digital propaganda work and cover their tracks, intelligence officials said during a press briefing. Back in March 2024, it was made public on the website of the US government information on the introduction of sanctions against the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA) and Company Group Structura LLC (Structura), recognized as actors of harmful influence of foreign origin. It was these companies that created fake websites and social media pages through which Kremlin disinformation was promoted.
“U.S. citizens should be aware that content they read online — especially on social media — may be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to come from fellow Americans or from U.S. institutions,” said a National Intelligence official who briefed journalists on the condition of anonymity in accordance with the rules established by the director’s office. The US is concerned about the wave of propaganda messages and digital interference from Russia. This experience is not new for the Kremlin. Moreover, it is positive for the manipulators, because during the 2016 elections, it was possible to achieve the result precisely through communication and technological influence on the electorate. Consider at least the fact that Russian hackers linked to the GRU hacked the servers of the US Democratic Party and the email of Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta. The obtained information was published on Wikileaks, which caused serious damage to the Clinton campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller has launched an investigation into possible ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials. Although collusion has not been proven, the investigation found numerous contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian agents, which raises serious concerns. In January 2017, American intelligence concluded that Moscow supported the candidacy of Trump, who was competing for the presidential seat with Hillary Clinton. The Kremlin is known to have used hacking attacks, as well as propaganda and social media, to influence voter sentiment.
Russian “troll factories” such as the Internet Research Agency have used social media to spread fake news and propaganda. These campaigns aimed to undermine confidence in the democratic process and divide American society along political, racial, and social lines. In response to the intervention, the US Congress passed a series of sanctions against Russia, including in 2017 the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which introduced new restrictions against Russian officials and businesses. Reports and investigations suggest that Russia continued to interfere in the 2018 and 2020 US elections using similar methods. The purpose of the interventions was to support candidates deemed beneficial to Russian interests and to further undermine confidence in the American electoral system.
In recent years, Russia has actively used artificial intelligence and automated bots to spread disinformation. These technologies make it possible to quickly create and spread fake news, manipulating public opinion. Developed algorithms allow you to target specific groups of the population with the aim of maximum impact.
In addition to Russia, China and Iran also actively participate in propaganda campaigns against the United States. China uses its technology platforms to spread narratives that favor Chinese interests, while Iran focuses on discrediting American political leaders and fueling internal conflicts in the US.
Cybersecurity experts note that Russian disinformation campaigns are becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect. They emphasize the need for increased international cooperation to combat this threat, as well as the importance of raising public awareness of possible manipulations.
