The US Department of Justice has seized over 30 internet domains associated with a Russian government-backed disinformation campaign known as Doppelganger [1], aimed at influencing US swing states in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
Description
This operation [2] [3], orchestrated by the Russian Presidential Administration and supervised by Sergei Kiriyenko, utilized artificial intelligence and fake influencers to spread disinformation supporting pro-Russian interests. Russian firms engaged in cybersquatting, impersonating reputable news sites like The Washington Post [2] [4]. Companies like SDA and Structura were accused of spreading Russian government propaganda to influence elections and diminish support for Ukraine. The Treasury Department sanctioned individuals and entities involved in Russia’s interference efforts [6], including RT chief editor Margarita Simonyan [1]. RT covertly recruited American influencers [7], resulting in indictments of two employees for funneling money to disseminate Russian messaging. The State Department restricted visas for individuals acting on behalf of Kremlin-supported media organizations [7], signaling a crackdown on Russian-backed disinformation [7]. A Chinese influence operation named Spamouflage intensified efforts to shape online discourse around US elections [7]. FBI Director Chris Wray highlighted Russia’s history of meddling in American society using sophisticated tools like artificial intelligence [3]. The Biden administration disrupted Russian attempts to sow discord among voters through indictments, sanctions [1] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8], and visa restrictions [8]. One criminal case involved RT employees covertly funding a content creation company to publish videos favoring Russian interests, including about the war in Ukraine [8].
Conclusion
The use of new technologies by adversarial actors has significantly changed the landscape of influence operations. Coordinated efforts by the US government aim to hold state-sponsored actors accountable for activities that undermine public trust and election integrity.
References
[1] https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/09/biden-administration-announces-indictments-sanctions-targeting-russian-disinformation-ahead-of-us-elections/
[2] https://www.scmagazine.com/brief/us-cracks-down-on-election-targeted-russian-influence-operations
[3] https://www.npr.org/2024/09/04/nx-s1-5100329/us-russia-election-interference-bots-2024
[4] https://decrypt.co/247946/russian-ai-disinformation-domains-seized-justice-department
[5] https://insidedefense.com/insider/doj-uncovers-russia-backed-operations-influence-us-elections-promote-propaganda
[6] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-disrupts-covert-russian-government-sponsored-foreign-malign-influence
[7] https://thehackernews.com/2024/09/us-seizes-32-pro-russian-propaganda.html
[8] https://apnews.com/article/russia-justice-department-election-foreign-influence-4888f4bfc61e46173101060ad0321d2f
