U.S. intelligence agencies have raised concerns about Russia's efforts to spread disinformation ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
In a briefing on Monday, reported by the Associated Press, United24 and NBC News, it was revealed that Russia is expected to focus its propaganda efforts on supporting former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Foreign Influence in US Elections
An official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) emphasized the danger of foreign propaganda being disguised as content from Americans.
"The public should be aware that what they read online — especially on social media — could be foreign propaganda, even if it looks like it’s coming from other Americans or within the United States," the official warned, speaking anonymously.
Russia remains the biggest threat when it comes to election disinformation.
Intelligence shows that Kremlin-linked groups are increasingly using Russian marketing and communications firms to create and spread digital propaganda, making it harder to trace back to them.
The ODNI called Russia the "main threat to U.S. elections" and noted that Russian influence groups have been building networks of U.S. and Western figures to spread pro-Russian messages.
"Russia’s main goal in this election is to oppose candidates who want to continue aiding Ukraine, and we expect Russia to stay focused on that," the official said.
Exploiting Recent Political Developments
The intelligence briefing also pointed to how Russian disinformation efforts have taken advantage of recent events 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, Russian disinformation agencies quickly promoted claims that Democratic rhetoric encouraged the shooting.
They also pushed unproven conspiracy theories that President Biden or the Ukrainian government was behind the attack.
While Russia is still seen as the main disinformation threat, intelligence also noted that Iran is stepping up its influence efforts, while China is approaching the 2024 election more cautiously.
