Russia, China and Iran: US adversaries target elections
As the elections in the United States approach, information about interference attempts by the country’s main adversaries is multiplying. This Thursday, The Washington Post reveals details about a network headed by an American that operates with Russian help and that spreads false information against the campaign of the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris. Reuters also reports interference operations deployed to influence the elections under Chinese and Iranian seal.
The Post has had access to documents that show that former Marine John Mark Dougan manages a disinformation network from Russia with the help of the Russian secret services and the ultranationalist of this country, Alexander Dugin, which has been especially active between March 2021 and August 2021. 2024.
In the last year, the content produced and disseminated by the network has reached 64 million views and has focused on trying to influence American voters with videos and publications that attack Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz. According to the newspaper, Dougan has launched dozens of websites with false information under names such as DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle and Atlanta Observer. It uses profiles on social networks such as X, but also on others highly frequented by followers of the Republican candidate Donald Trump, such as Rumble, Truth Social and Gettr.
Chinese and Iranian hackers
The technology giant Microsoft also warned on Wednesday of operations launched from China and Iran. On the one hand, he warned that an army of social media bots controlled by Chinese is trying to influence voters in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, attacking Republican representatives of these states, along with the US senator of that same party, Marco Rubio, from Florida. According to investigators, the group responsible is known as Taizi Flood, previously associated with China’s Ministry of Public Security. Each of the legislators was attacked for having historically denounced the policies of the Chinese government, the report states.
Another group of hackers, linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is actively exploring US election-related websites and media outlets, with activity suggesting preparations for more “direct influence operations,” the giant has published. technological, Reuters reports.
