Eight years after Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, foreign influence on American voters has become more advanced. This could significantly impact the 2024 election.
In 2016, Russia spread inflammatory posts online, often filled with spelling mistakes and awkward phrases. These posts aimed to grab attention at all costs. One post claimed, “Hillary is a Satan.”
Now, in 2024, foreign interference has evolved and is harder to track. Disinformation from countries like Russia, China, and Iran has become a serious threat, with these nations using more refined tactics to influence U.S. politics, according to U.S. intelligence and tech experts. Even a small number of misled Americans could greatly affect the presidential race, which is expected to be very close.
U.S. intelligence reports say Russia wants to help former President Donald Trump, while Iran supports his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. China seems to have no particular preference.
The main goal of these foreign efforts remains the same: to create confusion and chaos to undermine American democracy globally. However, their strategies have changed, adapting to new media and tools that make it easier to mislead unsuspecting audiences.
How Disinformation Has Changed:
Widespread Disinformation: In 2016, Russia was the main source of disinformation in American elections, mostly using Facebook. Now, Iran and China are also trying to influence American politics, spreading their messages across many platforms. They use everything from small chat forums to messaging groups focused on shared interests.
Diverse Platforms: Russian accounts are active on Telegram, sharing divisive videos and memes about the presidential election. China has also created accounts pretending to be students, inflaming tensions on U.S. campuses, especially during recent events like the Gaza conflict. Both countries also post on Gab, a lesser-known platform popular among far-right users, promoting conspiracy theories.
Targeting Specific Groups: Russian operatives are also supporting Trump on Reddit and other forums popular with the far right. They are focusing on voters in six key states, as well as Hispanic Americans, video gamers, and others seen as potential Trump supporters, according to internal documents released by the Department of Justice.
This new wave of disinformation reflects a more strategic and widespread effort to influence the upcoming election.
Lim/RH