US intelligence officials have warned that foreign adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran will continue to spread disinformation and false claims about the legitimacy of the election results in November. These countries are likely to focus on both the presidential race and down-ballot contests in an attempt to undermine trust in the election process and deepen divisions among Americans. Cuba is also seeking to promote or undermine certain political candidates for its own interests.
Russia is targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats to undermine support for Ukraine, while China is denigrating specific candidates through social media and online activities. Iran’s influence efforts are aimed at denigrating former President Donald Trump.
Foreign adversaries are using various tactics, including the use of American voices to spread manufactured falsehoods in order to appear more credible. The intelligence community believes that Americans are more likely to believe information coming from other Americans rather than propaganda from foreign sources.
Despite these warnings, officials from Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba deny any interference in the US election. Last month, three Iranians were indicted for hacking Trump’s campaign, but the stolen information was not used by Biden’s campaign. The intelligence community emphasizes the need for Americans to be vigilant and discerning in the face of foreign disinformation campaigns.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com