Russia, Iran and China are intent on stoking divisive narratives to divide Americans ahead of the electionThe US elections are on November 5Although they are unlikely to be able to manipulate contests on a scale that could affect the outcome of the presidential race, a US intelligence official said on Tuesday.
Foreign actors could consider physical threats and acts of violence in the pre-election and post-election period, and are very likely to conduct post-election disinformation operations to create uncertainty and undermine the electoral process, the official said in a press conference.
“Foreign actors, especially Russia, Iran, and China, remain intent on fueling divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans’ confidence in the American democratic system. These activities are consistent with what these actors view to be in their interests, even As its tactics continue to evolve.”
“The intelligence community expects foreign influence efforts to intensify in the lead-up to Election Day, particularly through social media posts,” the official said.
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The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said some of these posts were likely generated by artificial intelligence.
As an example, the official pointed to a post on the social media platform
The official said intelligence agencies assessed that Russian influencers created the content. The official said the agencies’ media review showed “several indicators of manipulation” consistent with the actions of Russian actors.
—(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Patricia Zengerle; Preparing by Muhammad for the Arabic Bulletin) Editing by Jonathan Oatis
