On 29 July, senior U.S. intelligence officials revealed that the Kremlin is using ‘unsuspecting’ Americans and commercial PR firms in Russia to spread disinformation about the U.S. presidential race.
In particular, they are flooding the internet with false and inflammatory statements about American democracy to undermine the credibility of the election.
‘The American public needs to be aware that the content they encounter online – especially on social media – may be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to come from Americans themselves or within the United States,’ an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
russia remains the biggest threat in terms of election disinformation, while China is taking a cautious approach to the 2024 elections as Donald Trump is known for his anti-China stance.
During a briefing with journalists, officials noted that groups with ties to the Kremlin are increasingly engaging marketing and communications companies in Russia to create digital propaganda while concealing their involvement. In March, two such firms were hit with new US sanctions for creating fake websites and social media profiles to spread Kremlin disinformation.
This disinformation targets a variety of topics, including candidates, voting processes, and controversial issues that are sensitive to the United States, such as immigration, crime, or the war in Gaza.
Officials who track foreign disinformation report that they issued twice as many warnings to political candidates and election offices during the 2024 election campaign compared to the 2022 campaign.
Background. As a reminder, the day before, the SBU detained six more Ukrainian citizens who were spreading calls in support of Russia's war against our country and justifying the war crimes of racists.