Russian propaganda in 2024 includes deepfakes, sham websites and social media swarms
A deepfake video of a State Department official falsely claiming a Russian city is a legitimate target for Ukrainian strikes using U.S. weapons.
Pro-Russia social media accounts amplifying stories about divisive political topics such as immigration and campus protests over the war in Gaza.
Sham news sites spoofing real publications or posing as legitimate-sounding outlets with names like D.C. Weekly, the Boston Times and Election Watch.
Russian propaganda is ramping up in a busy global election year, targeting American voters as well as elections in Europe and the Paris Olympics, according to intelligence officials, internet researchers and tech companies.
“Russia remains the most active foreign threat to our elections,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told senators last month at a briefing about election risks.
Influence operations linked to Russia take aim at a disparate range of targets and subjects around the world. But their hallmarks are consistent: attempting to erode support for Ukraine, discrediting democratic institutions and officials, seizing on existing political divides and harnessing new artificial intelligence tools.
