In a disturbing revelation, Microsoft has confirmed that a fabricated story alleging Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in a hit-and-run incident in 2011 is part of a Russian disinformation campaign. The fabricated claim, designed to smear Harris’s reputation and influence the upcoming US presidential election, was created by a Kremlin-aligned troll farm known as Storm-1516.
The elaborate operation involved producing a fake video, hiring an actor to portray the alleged victim, and disseminating the fabricated story through a fake news website called “KBSF-TV.” This website was created shortly before the story was released, further highlighting the malicious intent behind the campaign. The disinformation spread rapidly across social media platforms, particularly X.com, under the hashtag #HitAndRunKamala. Notably, a self-described “Registered foreign agent for Sputnik News,” Aussie Cossack, shared the video, which has garnered over 2.7 million views.
Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, which identified the disinformation campaign, pointed out that pro-Russian entities played a significant role in amplifying the video’s reach. This revelation underscores the strategic nature of Russia’s efforts to interfere in US elections, a pattern that has become increasingly prominent in recent years.
The disinformation campaign targeting Harris comes amidst a broader pattern of Russian cyber-influence operations aimed at the Harris-Walz campaign. Earlier this year, Meta Platforms reported dismantling numerous Facebook accounts linked to covert influence campaigns from countries including Russia. These campaigns utilized AI tools to create fake images, videos, and text, demonstrating the sophisticated tactics employed to manipulate users on social media platforms.
Interestingly, the Kremlin has openly expressed a preference for Harris over Donald Trump, citing her “predictability” as a key factor in their strategic calculations for the US presidential race. This sentiment was shared by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview, suggesting that Russia’s strategy involves potentially influencing the outcome of the election based on perceived advantages or disadvantages between the candidates.
The revelation of this disinformation campaign serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by foreign actors seeking to influence US elections through manipulation and deception. It highlights the importance of vigilance and critical thinking when engaging with information online, particularly during election cycles.
