Microsoft Corporation’s MSFT vice chair and president, Brad Smith, has raised concerns about potential foreign interference in the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election.
What Happened: On Wednesday, during his opening testimony at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign election interference, Smith warned of “real and serious” threats, reported The Hill.
He pointed out that the election has become a battleground for foreign actors, specifically Iran and Russia, against presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris respectively.
“We know that there is a presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, but this has also become an election of Iran vs Trump and Russia vs Harris,” he stated.
Smith also shed light on the combined efforts of Russia, Iran, and China in undermining democracy. He cited a recent Microsoft report that revealed Russian influence operations behind a false viral video accusing Harris of a hit-and-run.
He stressed the importance of tech companies upholding two principles: preserving the right to free expression and protecting the American electorate from foreign deception.
Smith called on tech companies to put in place safeguards, especially around AI-generated content, and to educate candidates about AI risks.
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Why It Matters: Smith’s testimony comes at a time when concerns over foreign interference in the election through online disinformation and misinformation campaigns are escalating.
He testified alongside Nick Clegg, the president of global affairs at Meta Platforms, and Kent Walker, the president and chief legal officer for Google's Alphabet, the report noted.
On Tuesday, in a blog post, Microsoft revealed that its Threat Analysis Center noticed a shift in tactics by Russian hackers who targeted the campaign of Democratic nominee Harris.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department seized over 30 web domains used by Russia for covert campaigns. The FBI also revealed that Iran was behind a hacking of the Trump campaign.
On Wednesday, the FBI said, “Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden's campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former President Trump's campaign as text in the emails.”
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