Russia-Linked Disinformation Targets Kamala Harris \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A viral video falsely claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris caused a hit-and-run accident. Microsoft’s latest report revealed the video is part of a Russian disinformation campaign aimed at undermining U.S. politics ahead of the 2024 election. Russia-aligned troll farms are deploying manipulative tactics, focusing on discrediting Harris and other Democratic figures.
Disinformation Campaign Against Kamala Harris: Quick Looks
- Viral video falsely accuses Kamala Harris of hit-and-run accident.
- Microsoft confirms the video was produced by a Russia-linked troll farm.
- Russian groups focus disinformation efforts on Harris and Democrats.
- Russia uses actors and fabricated stories to sway U.S. voters.
- Other fake stories involve staged political violence.
- Russia targets U.S. policies supporting Ukraine in its ongoing war.
Deep Look:
A video circulating widely across social media featured a young Black woman accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of a hit-and-run accident that supposedly left her paralyzed 13 years ago in San Francisco. The video shows the woman emotionally recounting her experience from a wheelchair, claiming that her childhood ended prematurely and that she could no longer stay silent. However, viewers quickly spotted red flags in the video’s narrative and presentation.
Soon after it was uploaded on September 2, skeptics pointed out several inconsistencies. The supposed news channel that aired the video, “San Francisco’s KBSF-TV,” didn’t exist. The website created for the channel had only been live for a week and featured plagiarized content from legitimate news sources. Additionally, the X-ray images used to support the woman’s claims were traced back to online medical journals. There were even discrepancies in the spelling of the alleged victim’s name between the video and the text story accompanying it.
According to a newly released report by Microsoft’s threat intelligence unit, the suspicions were well-founded. The video was part of a disinformation campaign run by a Russia-linked troll farm. Microsoft’s report reveals that Kremlin-backed actors have increased their disinformation efforts, primarily targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders as the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches.
The tech giant’s report also highlights how these Russian actors have evolved their strategies, particularly in collaboration with pro-Russian cyber “hacktivists” to amplify hacked-and-leaked materials. Microsoft notes that such tactics could be used to cast doubt on the results of the upcoming U.S. elections.
This new wave of disinformation highlights how foreign adversaries continue to manipulate American public opinion despite changes in the political landscape. The Kremlin-backed efforts are partly driven by Russia’s opposition to U.S. policies supporting Ukraine in its ongoing war. The Microsoft report sheds light on how these operations are becoming more aggressive as the election nears, particularly with Harris seen as a key supporter of Ukraine.
Microsoft’s findings follow a series of actions taken by the Biden administration, which seized Russian-controlled websites and charged individuals affiliated with Russian state media for their involvement in schemes designed to influence right-wing influencers in the U.S.
The spread of disinformation hasn’t always gained traction, but the recent instances highlighted by Microsoft, including the viral Kamala Harris hit-and-run video, have received considerable attention. Many unsuspecting social media users shared the content with anger and disbelief.
Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, explained that as the election draws near, voters become more susceptible to inflammatory content from dubious sources. “People tend to take in information from sources they don’t really know or wouldn’t even know to evaluate,” Watts noted.
The disinformation video blaming Harris for a fictional hit-and-run came from a Russian influence group known as Storm-1516, also called CopyCop by other researchers. Microsoft described the video as part of a pattern in which these groups exploit current events, creating seemingly credible “whistleblower” stories intended to mislead voters.
The report also identified another video, produced by the same group, showing two Black men assaulting a white woman at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. This video, too, garnered thousands of shares and provoked outrage on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with many commenters predicting it would incite a civil war.
Beyond Storm-1516, Microsoft’s report mentioned another Russian-aligned group, Storm-1679, which has shifted its focus from European events like the French election and the Paris Olympics to American politics. Recently, this group posted a doctored video of a Times Square billboard connecting Kamala Harris to gender-affirming surgeries.
Interestingly, the content highlighted in the report didn’t involve advanced generative AI tools. Instead, it used traditional video-editing techniques and human actors. Watts noted that although nation-state actors initially experimented with AI, many have returned to conventional methods, finding AI less efficient for disinformation campaigns.
When asked about the motivations behind these actions, Watts emphasized that Russian-aligned groups might not support specific candidates. Instead, their goal is to undermine U.S. politicians, particularly those backing Ukraine. Harris has been a vocal proponent of supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. In contrast, former President Donald Trump has been less clear on his stance, recently stating in a debate, “I want the war to stop,” when asked whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war.
Although Harris’s campaign has declined to comment on the issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a joking reference to supporting Harris in the upcoming election during a recent forum. Intelligence experts believe Moscow still favors Trump, though it continues to spread disinformation across the political spectrum.
The report also noted disinformation campaigns run by Iranian groups, which have been active in generating fake news sites, impersonating activists, and even targeting political campaigns with phishing attacks. In parallel, a China-linked group has focused on producing short-form videos criticizing both the Biden-Harris administration and Trump, aiming more at creating confusion among voters than backing any particular candidate.
Russia-Linked
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