American voters are likely to face a torrent of disinformation and influence campaigns.
US enemies are seeking to influence the outcome of the upcoming presidential election and cast doubt on the election process, according to senior US intelligence officials.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s latest estimate, released on Monday, October 7, comes just 29 days before the November 5 election, in which American voters will elect the nation’s next president and cast ballots in hundreds of local, state and community elections, Voice of America writes. .
We continue to see agents of influence increasing their activities as Election Day approaches,” said a US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
They understand that people are already voting, and operations could have a greater impact as we get closer to Election Day, the official said, noting that the election itself may only be a starting point.
The intelligence community expects foreign influencers to continue their campaigns to question the validity of election results after the polls close, the official added.
A second U.S. intelligence official warned that the pace of such influence efforts, especially those targeting specific election races or political campaigns, has also accelerated.
We’ve seen an increase of more than threefold,” the official said, explaining that the number of private briefings with candidates and campaigns has also increased.
Russia, U.S. officials say, is continuing to pursue influence campaigns aimed at boosting former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s chances of winning while attempting to damage the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
Iran’s efforts remain focused on helping Harris while hurting Trump, officials said, pointing to a continued hacking and leaking operation against the Trump campaign that has been traced to three agents working for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. .
US intelligence agencies believe China has not yet become involved in the US presidential campaign, focusing on persuading American voters to vote against state and community candidates seen as damaging to Beijing’s interests, especially those who express support for Taiwan.
But the latest intelligence assessment indicates some changes. US intelligence officials warned on October 7 that Russia and Cuba have joined China in influence operations at the level of congressional, state and local elections.
Moscow is using a wide range of influence agents to try to influence the congressional race, particularly to encourage the U.S. public to vote against pro-Ukrainian political figures and related policies, an intelligence official said.
Havana was almost certainly considering attempts to influence some candidates, the official added. “This is consistent with what they have done in past cycles.”
Source: Racurs
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