In the lead-up to the 5 November 2024 US presidential election, intelligence officials have highlighted a new wave of disinformation originating from Russia. Specifically, a fabricated video featuring a Haitian immigrant claiming to have voted multiple times for Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris has surfaced, stirring concerns about foreign interference.
Fake Video Blamed on Russian Troll Farms
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has labelled the 20-second clip as an example of ‘targeted disinformation’. The video shows a man stating, ‘We are from Haiti. We came to America six months ago, and we already have our American citizenship – we’re voting Kamala Harris’. According to Raffensperger, it’s likely a product of Russian troll farms aimed at undermining the electoral process.
Intelligence Officials Raise Alarm
- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a joint statement attributing the misinformation to ‘Russian influence actors’.
- Experts have noted that this activity is part of Moscow’s broader strategy to create distrust in the election’s integrity.
Deceptive Tactics and Voter Manipulation
Darren Linvill, a disinformation expert at Clemson University, indicated that the video bears the characteristics of the Russian propaganda network Storm-1516, known for using actors likely recruited from West Africa. Linvill described how the production was meticulously crafted to avoid detection by digital analysts.
Amplifying False Narratives
Disinformation campaigns are not a new phenomenon. The Justice Department recently reported on hundreds of pro-Kremlin accounts on social media, amplifying misleading narratives about Harris and the election. This comes as Trump and his supporters have frequently claimed that non-citizens could influence election outcomes, despite evidence showing otherwise.
Call to Action
Raffensperger has urged social media giants, including X’s owner Elon Musk, to swiftly remove the misleading video. As the election date approaches, vigilance is essential to maintain the integrity of the voting process and counter foreign attempts to sow chaos.