Russian hackers target the Harris-Walz campaign in disinformation efforts, says Microsoft

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Russian disinformation squads are turning their attention to the Harris-Walz campaign, according to a new report from Microsoft.

The company’s Threat Analysis Center says cyber influence operators from the former Soviet Union have shifted their tactics, spending less time undermining Republican candidates and focusing on the Democrats, with deep fabricated videos meant to stoke fears and sow discord.

“The shift to focusing on the Harris-Walz campaign reflects a strategic move by Russian actors aimed at exploiting any perceived vulnerabilities in the new candidates,” the report reads. “Initially, Russian influence operations struggled to evolve their efforts following President Biden’s departure from the 2024 US presidential race. However, in late August and September, we observed two Russian actors MTAC tracks closely … using videos designed to discredit Harris and stoke controversy around her campaign.”

One video shows what is purported to be an attack by Harris supporters on Trump rally attendees. Another accused Harris of being involved in a 2011 hit-and-run incident that paralyzed a 13-year-old girl. Both reports are false, but the hit and run video still went viral.

Microsoft warned that more of these troll videos are likely to emerge before Nov. 5 and would likely include actors and artificial intelligence-powered alterations.

The report comes one day after Meta announced it was banning Russian state media outlets like RT from its apps for engaging in political interference. The United States has accused RT and employees of funneling $10 million through shell entities to covertly fund influence campaigns on social media channels.

Russia’s hardly alone. Iran and China have also been accused of attempting to interfere in the election. Last month, OpenAI announced it had discovered an “Iranian influence operation” using its tools to generate content to spread misinformation about the U.S. presidential race. The company banned several accounts as a result.