U.S. intelligence officials have indicated that Russia remains the most active foreign power attempting to interfere in American politics, with a preference for favoring Donald Trump in the upcoming November election. Despite not targeting voting machines or voter registration systems, Russia is employing a comprehensive approach to influence various aspects of American politics, including the presidential race and public opinion.
Additionally, U.S. prosecutors uncovered a Russian influence operation that used artificial intelligence tools to create content and personas on social media to influence discussions about U.S. politics. In contrast, China seems to be refraining from conducting influence operations targeting U.S. policy, as it perceives minimal benefits from doing so. Iran, on the other hand, is described as an “agent of chaos” focusing on exploiting U.S. political and social tensions rather than promoting a specific election outcome.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines accused Iran of amplifying protests against Israel’s military operation in Gaza through online activism. While the current foreign influence landscape is deemed more complex and less intense than in previous election cycles, officials have not found evidence of any country directly interfering in the current election or voting process.
The distinction between election “influence” activity, like disinformation campaigns, and “interference” in election infrastructure is highlighted by officials. Reports from Microsoft and Goal also identify Russia as the primary provider of influence operations directly targeting the U.S. election, with groups linked to the Russian government spreading propaganda and false content on various platforms.
China’s approach to exerting influence on social media platforms is characterized as cautious compared to Russia, with the Chinese government looking to expand its data collection and monitoring capabilities for future influence efforts. Furthermore, China-linked disinformation actors have been involved in elections outside the U.S., like in Taiwan, where they attempted to impact the electoral outcomes but ultimately failed.
Meanwhile, Derek B. Johnson, a reporter at CyberScoop, provided this information as an expert in cybersecurity, elections, and the federal government. His journalistic background includes award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news in both the public and private sectors since 2017. Johnson holds degrees in print journalism and public policy from Hofstra University and George Mason University, respectively.
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https://cyberscoop.com/us-intel-officials-kremlin-once-again-prefers-trump/
