Russian disinformation actors are targeting the Harris-Walz campaign with false and disparaging claims, according to Microsoft. At least three Russian entities have been identified, one of which was indicted by the Justice Department, while the other two were only known by pseudonyms. The disinformation includes videos, such as one showing Black men kicking a bloodied white woman wearing a Trump shirt and another falsely claiming Kamala Harris paralyzed a girl with her car. The videos fit into a pattern established by Russia in previous elections, similar to efforts by the Internet Research Agency in 2016 to divide Americans using social media.
The U.S. has accused Russia of running a disinformation campaign to boost former President Donald Trump and disparage Harris. The intelligence community believes that Russia prefers candidates who don’t undermine its invasion of Ukraine. Iran, on the other hand, aims to hurt Trump and his chances in the election. China aims to destabilize U.S. belief in the democratic process and influence smaller races, but they do not plan to support either Trump or Harris in the current election.
Microsoft’s report also noted a China-linked influence actor publishing both anti-Harris and anti-Trump content to sow confusion and doubt among American voters without favoring a specific candidate. Overall, foreign actors are using disinformation to influence the election in various ways, targeting specific candidates like Harris while also attempting to create general confusion among voters.
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