The United States intelligence agency says that Russia is using fake social media to discredit Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz in order to influence the outcome of the US election.
Points of attention
- Russia is spreading fake material on social media to discredit Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz and influence the outcome of the US election.
- US intelligence agencies warn of attempts by Russia, Iran, and China to use disinformation to divide Americans and undermine confidence in the democratic system.
- Russian government agencies and contractors are considering inciting physical violence after the US election, threatening the stability and security of the country.
- Russia, China, and Iran are stepping up disinformation ahead of the US election, with concerns raised about inciting violence during and after the election.
- US adversaries are likely to create false stories to sow confusion and undermine the integrity of the election process, as highlighted by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Russia is trying to influence the US election
According to unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, Russians bent on disrupting the U.S. presidential election circulated a fake video and other material on social media defaming Volz and accusing him of abuse of office.
In the fake content, Volz was accused of allegedly inappropriately interacting with students while working as a teacher and coach. Posts with such content have received millions of views on social networks, including on the X platform.
In one video in particular, a man calling himself "Matthew Metro" claims to have been a student of Volz's decades ago at a high school in Minnesota. In the video, he accuses the current politician of inappropriate behavior.
As WP writes, some details coincided with the biography of the real Matthew Metro, who now lives in Hawaii. However, according to the man, it is not him in the video. Metro, who actually attended the school where Walz worked, stressed that Walz never taught him and that the allegations in the video were false.
U.S. intelligence officials said the fake videos were part of the most active attempt by another state to influence the 2024 election. They added that Russian government agencies and contractors, generally seeking to boost former Republican President Donald Trump's campaign, are considering inciting physical violence in the dangerous post-election period.
Some of these information campaigns are aimed at inciting violence and questioning the legitimacy of democracy as a political system, regardless of who wins (US elections — ed.), a senior intelligence official told reporters during a briefing on election threats in the USA.
Russia does not comment on the statements of American intelligence.
Russia, China and Iran stepped up disinformation ahead of the US election
U.S. intelligence officials are concerned that Russia and Iran could use disinformation to try to incite violence during and after the election.
This was announced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
Foreign actors—including Russia, Iran, and China—continue to seek ways to exacerbate divisions in order to divide Americans and undermine confidence in the US democratic system. It is in their interests.
According to the DNI, Russia is beginning to take steps "aimed at inciting violence" in the United States. Iran also "may try to provoke violence" in the country.
Of particular concern to U.S. intelligence is that during the counting and verification of voting results, U.S. adversaries “are likely to quickly create false stories or disseminate content that they believe will create confusion about the election, such as by publishing false claims of election irregularities ".
