WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials tracking disinformation campaigns say they have issued more warnings in recent months about political candidates, government leaders and others being targeted by foreign groups. America's Adversaries Are Trying to Exert Influence 2024 election results.
An official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Wednesday, without providing details, that the figure is higher at least in part because “presidential elections attract greater attention from adversaries.”
One of the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity due to ground rules set by the attorney general's office, said the increase in individual notification of targets that began last fall could reflect an increased threat, improved government detection capabilities or both.
Members of both parties expressed concern They question the nation's preparedness for foreign disinformation during a presidential election and its damaging effects on voter trust and faith in our democratic institutions, as well as the federal government's ability to provide timely and effective warnings to voters when countries like Russia and China attempt to use disinformation to influence American politics.
Influence operations can include false or exaggerated claims or advertisements intended to mislead voters about a particular candidate, issue, or race, and can also include social media posts and other digital content intended to suppress voting through intimidation or provide voters with false information about election procedures.
Officials said the list of countries that have launched such campaigns includes familiar adversaries such as: Russia, China and Iran There is also a rise in second-tier countries like Cuba, and signs that some U.S. allies are beginning to launch their own efforts to influence voters, he said.
What you need to know about the 2024 election
One official said Russia was the biggest threat and its main goal was to undermine public support. Ukraine and Lose the trust In American democracy in general.
Officials say China is believed to be more cautious than Russia in its online disinformation campaigns and more concerned about a potential backlash from the U.S. Iran is considered a “source of chaos” and is likely to try online tactics to stoke voter anger and even violence.
Officials did not say how many private warnings they had issued to candidates, political groups or local election offices. The warnings come after a joint committee of intelligence officials concluded that influence efforts could be used to sway the outcome of elections or discourage certain groups from voting.
The official said the notification would only be made if authorities were able to attribute the basis of the operation to a foreign source, allowing targeted individuals or groups to “take a more defensive posture.”
The unit leading this effort within the intelligence community is: Foreign Malicious Influence CenterThe agency has no jurisdiction over domestic groups, and officials briefing reporters on Wednesday said they were trying to avoid the appearance of policing Americans' speech or playing favorites when it comes to candidates.
Intelligence agencies have only issued one public warning so far, in 2020. Iran-related groups The emails were sent to Democratic voters in an apparent attempt to intimidate them into voting for Donald Trump.
powerful artificial intelligence The programs, which can quickly produce images, audio and video, are posing a growing problem as adversaries seek to use the technology to create lifelike fakes that could easily mislead voters.
The use of AI has already begun ahead of the election. India, MexicoMoldova, Slovakia and BangladeshIn the United States, New Hampshire voters received AI robocalls He imitated President Joe Biden's voice..
Officials said AI deepfakes used by U.S. adversaries remain the biggest threat.
