U.S. officials and recent criminal charges suggest that Russia is employing American social media influencers in a clandestine operation to sway the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
What Happened: Russia is increasingly utilizing American social media personalities to subtly steer voters in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. A high-ranking intelligence official reported that foreign agents are exploiting both conscious and unconscious Americans to disseminate narratives that benefit their interests, as per Reuters on Monday.
The Justice Department recently revealed criminal charges against two ex-employees of Russian news agency Russia Today, alleging they covertly funded an American political media company. The indictment claims that the Russians transferred approximately $10 million to two media business owners, who subsequently compensated American conservative influencers to produce videos and social media content.
The accused media company is Tenet Media, a Tennessee-based outlet that brands itself as a platform for "fearless voices.” The indictment implies that while the media owners were cognizant of the Russian funding, the influencers they compensated appeared unaware of the setup.
Why It Matters: U.S. security agencies perceive this tactic as one of Russia’s favored strategies in the current election cycle to lend authenticity to their foreign psychological operations. Such operations generally aim to incite Americans, underscore societal rifts, and question the efficacy and global security role of the U.S. government. President Joe Biden had earlier accused Russia of planning to interfere with the 2024 election.
"Foreign influence actors are getting better at hiding their hand and using Americans to do it," cautioned another senior U.S. intelligence official.
This comes after a Russian AI-driven disinformation campaign targeted Elon Musk‘s owned X earlier this year.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly expressed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Did You Know?
- Congress Is Making Huge Investments. Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold Ahead Of The 2024 Election With Our Easy-to-Use Tool
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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