Microsoft: Russia-linked actors spreading disinformation on Harris ahead of elections

Millions of viewers encountered a video on social media featuring a young Black woman who alleged that Vice President Kamala Harris was responsible for leaving her paralyzed in a hit-and-run incident in San Francisco from 13 years prior. In a poignant recounting from her wheelchair, the woman expressed a sense of urgency, stating she “cannot remain silent anymore” and reflected on how her childhood was prematurely cut short.

However, skepticism immediately arose among viewers following the video’s release on September 2. Observers highlighted several red flags regarding the video’s authenticity. Notably, the purported news outlet KBSF-TV from San Francisco did not exist; a website for the station was created just one week before and contained plagiarized content from legitimate news sources. Moreover, the X-ray images shown in the video were sourced from online medical journals, and there were inconsistencies in the way the alleged victim’s name was spelled across the video and website.

A new report from Microsoft’s threat intelligence team confirmed these suspicions, identifying the content as disinformation originating from a troll farm linked to Russia. The report, released on a Tuesday, sheds light on how actors associated with the Kremlin initially struggled to adjust their strategies after President Joe Biden became the Democratic candidate but have since ramped up covert efforts targeting Harris and the Democrats.

The report illustrates how Russian intelligence operatives are joining forces with pro-Russian cyber “hacktivists” to amplify allegedly leaked and hacked content. This method could potentially be weaponized to undermine American trust in the outcome of the upcoming elections scheduled for November.

The findings indicate that, despite significant shifts in the political environment, foreign groups continue to bolster their efforts to manipulate U.S. political opinions, frequently through deceptive tactics. Increased pressure has also been noted as Russia continues to influence the debate surrounding pro-Ukrainian policy within the U.S., escalating attacks on the Democratic ticket as election day approaches.

This report builds on previous concerns the U.S. has raised about potential Russian interference in the upcoming elections. Recent actions by the Biden administration include seizing Russian-operated websites and charging two employees of Russian state media with an alleged scheme to secretly influence a network of right-wing supporters.

Russia-aligned actors have recently targeted American public opinion through various covert postings, although earlier efforts did not gain significant traction. Some of the examples highlighted in the Microsoft report gained substantial attention, with unwitting Americans sharing the fabricated narratives with outrage.

“As the election approaches, people become more emotionally invested,” Clint Watts, general manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, explained. “People often absorb information from sources they aren’t familiar with or fail to critically evaluate.”

Microsoft noted that the video blaming Harris for the alleged hit-and-run incident was produced by a Russian-aligned network known as Storm-1516, frequently referred to as CopyCop by other researchers. The video features an actor, a common tactic for the network, which aims to present seemingly credible “whistleblower” stories to capture the interest of U.S. voters.

Additionally, the report mentions another fabricated video released by the same group, allegedly depicting two Black men assaulting a bloodied white woman at a rally supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. This video saw thousands of shares on social media platforms, with viewers expressing alarming sentiments such as, “This is the kind of stuff to start civil wars.”

Microsoft’s findings also drew attention to another Russian influence group, Storm-1679, which recently pivoted from focusing on the French election and Paris Olympics to commenting on Harris. Earlier this month, the group released a manipulated video that linked Harris to gender-affirming surgeries, which created further confusion.

Interestingly, the content highlighted in the report appears to rely on traditional editing techniques rather than advanced generative artificial intelligence tools. Watts noted that while foreign actors experimented with AI, many have reverted to more conventional methods, realizing that AI can be more time-consuming and less effective.

When discussing Russia’s motivation, Watts indicated that these groups might not favor specific candidates but are indeed focused on undermining anyone who shows support for Ukraine in U.S. policy matters.

Harris has publicly pledged her support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion if she is elected president. In contrast, Trump has shown ambivalence toward the war, stating recently during a debate that he wants the conflict to end.

In a light-hearted moment earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin jokingly suggested he would back Kamala Harris in the upcoming U.S. election, despite intel suggesting that Moscow prefers Trump. The Harris campaign has declined to comment on these incidents, and the Russian embassy in Washington has also not responded to requests for comment.

In addition to Russian efforts, Microsoft identified Iranian groups working to stoke discord in the election through fake news sites, impersonation of activists, and phishing attacks targeting the Trump campaign, with potential criminal charges being prepared by U.S. officials regarding those incidents.

The Microsoft report also noted activities linked to a group associated with China that has been spreading negative content about Biden and Harris while creating anti-Trump narratives. This group’s apparent objective seems to be to create confusion and doubt among American voters as the 2024 presidential elections approach.

Source: Associated Press