Russia's covert influence operations, including propaganda funding and media manipulation, are targeting the 2024 U.S. election.
Russia has gained infamy for its attempts to influence U.S. elections. In 2016, Russian agents used internet "trolls" on X (formerly twitter) to influence voters. Four years later, Russia ran another influence campaign, this time to undermine public confidence in the 2020 election. As yet another U.S. election approaches, Russia’s efforts to interfere in the election are being uncovered.
On September 4, 2024, the Department of Justice announced that two employees from Russia Today (RT), a state-controlled Russian media outlet, have been indicted. The indictment alleges that these individuals, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, covertly funded and directed a Tennessee-based company to publish thousands of videos that contained propaganda and disinformation aligned with Russian state interests. RT gave nearly $10 million to online commentators who shared this content to unknowing American audiences. This company was secretly controlled by Russian nationals (so even the recruited commenters were unaware that their pay came from Russia). Almost 2,000 videos received over 16 million views on Youtube alone, but the videos were also published on TikTok, Instagram, and X - likely amplifying divisions on all corners of the internet. Aric Toler (@AricToler on X) identified the RT sponsored company as Tenet Media, as well as several of the commenters that were paid off by the group.
On the same day as the indictment, an affidavit was filed to support a warrant to seize 32 internet domains believed to be part of Russian malign influence operations, known as "Doppelganger." The domains include “cybersquatted” domains that impersonate legitimate news organizations or unique media brands created by Doppelganger to covertly disseminate Russian government propaganda, with the aim of decreasing international support for Ukraine, promoting pro-Russian policies, and influencing elections in the U.S. and other countries without revealing the Russian government's involvement. Similar to the RT case, Doppelganger deployed influencers worldwide, paying for social media advertisements, while also creating fake social media profiles pretending to be U.S. or other non-Russian citizens. Again, Americans unknowingly provided services to the Russian government, who is a sanctioned entity.
The State Department is taking several measures to limit Russian influence in the U.S. elections. People and financial institutions associated with RT, Doppelganger, and RaHDit (Russian Angry Hackers Did It) may be subject to sanctions, even as Russia has been working around the sanctions they already have. A new visa restriction policy has been introduced to restrict visa issuance to individuals using Kremlin-supported media organizations as cover for covert activities. Secondly, the operational U.S. presence of several Russian media entities, like RT, have been designated as foreign missions and will be required to disclose their personnel and real property in the United States. The Rewards for Justice program is also seeking information on potential foreign efforts to influence or interfere in U.S. elections and is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on organizations such as RaHDit, known for their cyber-enabled influence operations spreading propaganda from the Kremlin.
The ongoing efforts to counter Russia’s influence campaigns highlight the need for vigilance and a proactive stance in protecting democratic institutions. The U.S. must keep adapting and responding to these evolving threats to preserve the integrity of their democracies and uphold global standards, as other countries are also being targeted by Russia’s campaigns.