The FBI has recently addressed and debunked two videos that have been circulating online, spreading false information related to the election. In a statement released on Tuesday, the agency clarified that these videos are fabricated and not authentic.
One of the videos falsely claims that the FBI issued a terrorist warning regarding polling sites, suggesting that Americans should vote remotely due to a supposed high terror threat at polling stations. The FBI has confirmed that this video is not genuine and does not accurately reflect the current threat level or safety at polling locations.
Another video, also proven to be fake by the FBI, alleges that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party. The agency emphasized that this video is not authentic and the claims made within it are entirely false.
The video containing misinformation about prison votes displayed an FBI watermark and a 'Verified' page attributed to the CIA, characteristics associated with the Russia-based disinformation network known as Doppelganger. According to disinformation expert Darren Linvill from Clemson University, Doppelganger is an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign operated by a private company on behalf of the state. The campaign utilizes numerous low-quality bot accounts that receive paid engagement. These accounts often share links to fake news pages that appear legitimate but are not, engaging in high-volume but low-impact activities with limited organic engagement.
Despite the debunking of these videos, the FBI has not disclosed the identities of those responsible for creating and spreading the false information. The agency's statement serves as a reminder to the public to be cautious of misinformation and disinformation campaigns, especially during critical events such as elections.
