Russia is relying on unwitting Americans to spread election disinformation, US officials say

WASHINGTON — The Kremlin is turning to unsuspecting Americans and commercial PR firms in Russia to spread disinformation about the U.S. presidential election, top intelligence officials said Monday, providing an overview of the latest efforts by U.S. adversaries to influence public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.

The warning comes after a tumultuous few to soften in American policy that has prompted Russia, Iran and China revise their propaganda manual fast. What hasn’t changed, intelligence officials said, is their determination to litter the Internet with false and inflammatory claims about American democracy to undermine confidence in the election.

“The American public needs to know that the content they read online — particularly on social media — could be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to be from their fellow Americans or originated in the United States,” said an official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity under rules set by the director’s office.

According to the authorities, Russia remains the biggest threat when it comes to disinformation about elections. There are indications that Iran is expanding its efforts and that China is proceeding cautiously as 2024 approaches.

Groups with ties to the Kremlin are increasingly hiring marketing and communications agencies in Russia, both to outsource the work of creating campaigns and to cover their tracks, the officials said at a briefing with reporters.

Two such companies were the subject of new U.S. sanctions announced in March. Authorities say the two Russian companies fake websites and social media profiles created to spread disinformation about the Kremlin.

The disinformation may target the candidates or to voteor on issues that are already the subject of debate in the US, such as immigrationcrime or the war in Gaza.

The ultimate goal, however, is to get Americans to spread Russian disinformation without questioning its origins. People are much more likely to trust and repost information they believe comes from a domestic source, officials said. Fake websites designed to imitate American news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles are just two methods.

“Foreign actors of influence are getting better and better at hiding their hand and persuading Americans to do so,” said the official, who spoke to officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

In one measure of the threatOfficials who monitor foreign disinformation say they have issued twice as many warnings to political candidates, government leaders, polling stations and others targeted by foreign groups so far in the 2024 election cycle than in the 2022 cycle.

Officials would not disclose how many warnings were issued or who received them, but said the significant increase reflects increased interest in the presidential race among U.S. opponents and enhanced government efforts to identify and warn about such threats.

The warnings are given so that victims can take steps to protect themselves and, if necessary, make things right.

Russia and other countries have also been quick to capitalize on recent developments in the presidential race, including the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

After the attack on Trump, for example, Russian disinformation agencies quickly amplified claims that Democratic rhetoric led to the shooting, or even unfounded conspiracy theories suggesting that Biden or the Ukrainian government orchestrated the attempt.

“These pro-Russian voices attempted to link the assassination attempt to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” concluded the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensics Research Lab, which tracks Russian disinformation.

Intelligence agencies have previously determined that Russian propaganda appeared to support Trump. On Monday, authorities said they had not changed that assessment.

Support for Ukraine continues to decline a key target of Russian disinformationand Trump has in the past praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and is seen as less positive about NATO.

While China mounted a Extensive disinformation campaign Before Taiwan’s recent election, the country has been much more cautious about the U.S. Beijing could use disinformation to target congressional elections or other lower-level elections in which a candidate has expressed strong views about China. But China is not expected to try to influence the presidential election, the officials said Monday.

Iran, however, has taken a more aggressive stance. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said earlier this month that the Iranian government has secretly supported American protests over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Groups with ties to Iran have posed as online activists, encouraging protests and have provided financial support to a number of protest groups, Haines said.

Iran opposes candidates likely to ratchet up tensions with Tehran, officials said. That description fits Trump, whose administration ended a nuclear deal with Iranre-imposed sanctions and ordered the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian general.