Earlier this week, American officials confirmed that a video claiming to indicate voter fraud in two left-minded circles in Georgia was false and Russian production. Last month, they attributed another fake video to Russia of a person who ripped out the ballots in what seemed to be Bucks County in Pennsylvania. /voa
Federal agencies say Russia, Iran are stepping up efforts to influence American elections
Periskopi
(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)Just hours before tens of millions of Americans were directed to polling stations for presidential elections, US intelligence agencies issued a warning about foreign efforts to fuel doubts in the voting process and warning that efforts risk inciting violence against election officials. In a joint statement [...]
In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials noted a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming American officials were organising a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely described an interview with an individual who claimed election fraud in Arizona.
The agencies found that actors associated with Russia “are producing videos and writing false articles to undermine election legitimacy, to inspire fears in voters about the election process and to suggest Americans are using violence against each other because of political preferences”, the statement issued by the National Intelligence Director's Office, the FBI and the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency of the United States says. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials”, the statement said.
A Russian Embassy spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comments sent through email.
Federal officials warned that Russia is likely to publish “the content produced” additional on election day and represents the most active “threat when it comes to foreign election influence. The statement also noted that Iran remains a key “threat to US elections”.
The effort described by federal officials is part of a widespread operation by Russia, designed to undermine confidence in the election process and sow disagreements among American voters. Intelligence agencies have estimated that Russia, which also intervened in favour of Mr. Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, still prefers the Republican candidate and will likely continue with its influence operations even after election day.
In addition to the video produced aimed at disseminating dezinforms, American officials have also accused Russian state media of an undercover operation, multimillion dollars to spread pro-Russian content to the American audience and have opened dozens of websites, which they said promote propaganda.
In the statement, officials also drew attention to Iran's attempts to intervene in the elections, which include a hacker operation and information leaks to undermine Mr. Trump's candidacy. The Justice Department in September accused three Iranian hackers of these efforts.
Iranian actors have also created fake news pages and have imitated online activists in an effort to sway voters, according to Microsoft company analysts. The technology giant said last month that Iranian actors, who allegedly sent emails aimed at intimidating American voters in 2020, have been monitoring web sites related to major elections and media, raising concerns that they could prepare for another scheme this year.
While major technology companies and intelligence officials have warned of foreign intervention in this election cycle, Russia, China and Iran have rejected claims that they are aiming to intervene in American elections.
A video in Arizona, distributed to social media by Russian actors on Monday, is allegedly showing an unidentified signal revealing an election fraud scheme. Federal officials said the Arizona State Secretary's office had already dismissed the content of the video.
