Russia is relying on unsuspecting Americans to spread disinformation about the US presidential elections, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, reports AP. The volume of false information is increasing rapidly.
“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 seed the internet with false and incendiary claims about American democracy to undermine faith in the election,” journalists write.
The greatest threat in the context of US election disinformation comes from Russia, according to intelligence officials. There are also signs that Iran is ramping up its efforts, while China is acting cautiously.
“The American public should know that content that they read online — especially on social media — could be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to be coming from fellow Americans or originating in the United States,” said a representative from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Pro-Kremlin groups are increasingly hiring Russian marketing and communications firms to outsource part of the digital propaganda work, thus covering their tracks. In March, the US imposed sanctions on two such firms that created fake websites and social media profiles to spread disinformation.
“The disinformation can focus on the candidates or voting, or on issues that are already the subject of debates in the US, 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,” AP writes.
People are much more likely to trust and share information they believe comes from local sources. Russians use various methods, such as fake websites mimicking American media and social media profiles created with the help of artificial intelligence.
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