FBI Seized 32 Russian Propaganda Sites Spreading Disinformation Ahead of the US Elections
Published on September 5, 2024
- The FBI discovered an alleged Russian influence operation network targeting Americans.
- Several sites with AI-generated fake content spreading Russian propaganda were seized.
- These sites aimed to influence electoral outcomes in the U.S., Germany, Mexico, and Israel, among other countries.
The FBI has seized 32 Web domains linked to the Doppelgänger Russian influence operation network that had been orchestrating a disinformation campaign aimed at the American public ahead of the presidential elections, as alleged in an unsealed affidavit.
The Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns conducted via these websites violate U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws, as these were utilized to disseminate Russian governmental propaganda.
Court documents reveal that the Doppelgänger network is suspected to have ties to several Russian organizations, including the Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog.
These entities are controlled by the Russian Presidential Administration, specifically the First Deputy Chief of Staff, Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko.
These domains’ content promoted pro-Russian policies, aimed to diminish international support for Ukraine, and sought to influence electoral outcomes in the U.S. and countries such as Germany, Mexico, and Israel.
Russian companies SDA, Structura, and ANO Dialog employed cybersquatting, false influencers, and fake profiles to sow disinformation via AI-generated social media content targeting specific American demographics and regions “at Putin’s direction.”
Meanwhile, the Justice Department charged two employees of Russian state-controlled media outlet RT in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging.
Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, also known as Kostya, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, also known as Lena, are charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Last month, Iranian state-backed threat actor APT42 was confirmed to target high-profile accounts of both sides of the political spectrum connected to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, aggressively seeking to compromise both the Democratic and Republican campaigns. Another Iranian group had been launching various domains with fake news sites targeting liberal and conservative voters.
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