There is new evidence that China, Iran, and Russia are aggressively ramping up their efforts to influence American voters to potentially influence the outcome of the upcoming U.S. election.
Two threat intelligence reports on Wednesday, one from software giant Microsoft and another from cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, detailed the growing activity of cyber actors linked to each country – all aiming to impact the perception of the American public with less than two weeks before voters go to the polls. .
The biggest change, according to Microsoft, comes from China-linked actors, known to researchers as Spamouflage or Taizi Flood.
“Chinese influence operations have recently taken a new turn, shifting their focus to several unfavorably elected candidates and members of Congress,” Microsoft said, noting that starting in September, China targeted at least four prominent lawmakers Republicans, all of whom are known critics. of the Beijing government.
Most recently, China-linked accounts targeted Texas Republican Michael McCaul, accusing the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee of “abusing power for personal gain.”
Late last month, other spam messages began targeting Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Microsoft said. And earlier this month, the same effort began promoting Blackburn’s opponent in the Nov. 5 election.
Other targets include Alabama Republican Rep. Barry Moore, who was the subject of content criticizing his support for Israel, and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Republican Marco Rubio, who is accused of corruption .
The Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the allegations in Microsoft’s report.
“Presidential elections are the internal affairs of the United States,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told VOA on Wednesday, echoing previous Chinese denials.
“Such allegations are full of malicious speculation against China, which China firmly opposes,” he added.
US lawmakers, however, said they were not surprised by the surge in malicious activity.
“The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) cannot stand anyone who supports and gives voice to those it oppresses; their response is to sanction and attack,” McCaul said in a statement to VOA.
“I consider it an honor when the CCP – a leading violator of human rights, censor of free speech and oppressor of its own people – challenges my work,” he said.
Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for Chinese influence efforts to be “taken very seriously.”
“China is becoming more and more aggressive,” Rubio said in a statement to VOA. “China’s goal is to shape American opinion on critical issues and target specific candidates, particularly those it views as anti-China.”
Growing threats
Reports from Microsoft and Recorded Future warn that Beijing is not alone.
Specifically, the reports warn that Russia-linked cyber actors, known by researchers as Storm-1679 or Operation Overload, have increased the pace of their operations over the past month and a half and are showing signs that other influence operations are underway.
“Operation Overload will most likely intensify its activities,” the Recorded Future report states.
Recorded Future said many of Russia’s efforts in recent times have sought to provoke anger toward the LGBTQ+ community “by using disinformation to perpetuate discriminatory beliefs around transgender people, perceived behavioral issues, transition operations and gender reassignment and pharmaceutical treatments”.
Other influence operations, according to the report, use AI-generated voiceovers to imitate the style of American journalists.
Microsoft said Russian cyber actors have also found ways to reach more U.S. voters by moving much of the content from social media platform Telegram to X.
“Storm-1679 videos posted to X received higher levels of engagement,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft researchers also warned that there were signs that Iran was also stepping up its election interference efforts.
The Microsoft report states that in one case, less than two weeks ago, “an online persona run by Iran began falsely impersonating an American and called on Americans to boycott the election due to the support of the two candidates for Israeli military operations.
Russia and Iran, like China, have repeatedly denied any involvement in efforts to interfere in US elections.
But the new findings from Microsoft and Recorded Future agree with assessments by U.S. intelligence officials.
“Foreign actors – particularly Russia, Iran, and China – remain committed to stoking narratives that divide Americans and undermining Americans’ confidence in the American democratic system, consistent with what they perceive to be in their interest,” according to a declassified assessment released Tuesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
U.S. intelligence officials have previously said Russia was working to boost the chances of former president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump, while Iran was working to harm Trump’s re-election bid and to support the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.
And while there is little evidence to suggest China sought to influence the U.S. presidential race, intelligence officials said Beijing was focusing its efforts on congressional, state and local candidates, perceived as promoting policies harmful to Beijing’s interests.