Russia Targets American Social Media Stars to Covertly Influence Voters, Reports Reuters

By Christopher Bing, Katie Paul, and Raphael Satter

According to U.S. officials and newly revealed criminal charges, Russia is increasingly enlisting American social media influencers to covertly sway voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

A senior intelligence official disclosed in a recent briefing that “what we see them doing is relying on witting and unwitting Americans to seed, promote and add credibility to narratives that serve these foreign actors’ interests.” It is believed that foreign entities often calculate that Americans are more inclined to trust the opinions of their fellow citizens.

American security agencies see this tactic as one of Russia’s favored methods this election cycle, aimed at making their foreign psychological operations appear more legitimate. These missions generally seek to provoke anger among Americans, underscore societal divisions, and amplify partisan rhetoric while casting doubt on the effectiveness of the U.S. government in global security matters.

In a July briefing on election security, another senior U.S. intelligence official emphasized, “The American public should know that content they encounter online, especially on social media, could be foreign propaganda, even if it seems to come from fellow Americans.” He added that foreign influence actors have become increasingly adept at obscuring their involvement and utilizing Americans to further their agenda.

Recently, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against two former employees of a Russian media outlet, identifying them as funders of an American political media company. The indictment details an alleged scheme whereby approximately $10 million was sent to two media business owners, who then compensated American conservative influencers to produce videos and social media posts. Some of these influencers have reportedly shared anti-Ukraine content that aligned with the objectives of the operation.

Though the indictment does not explicitly name the accused media outlet, investigations revealed it to be a Tennessee-based firm known for promoting strong viewpoints. This company has a history of working with several notable social media personalities. The indictment indicates that while the business owners were aware of the Russian funding, the influencers they hired seemed unaware of the arrangement.

This firm managed a YouTube channel and various social media platforms, where it shared content from its contributors. Court documents allege that the founders directed one of the commentators to falsely claim online that a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow was orchestrated by Ukraine, rather than ISIS.

While responding to the indictment, the influencers expressed that they felt deceived and were victims of this operation. Experts note that this scheme reflects a long-standing trend in disinformation tactics. Employing influencers rather than traditional journalists is seen as an adaptation to modern media dynamics.

Additionally, the Justice Department unveiled a separate scheme involving Russian operatives impersonating legitimate Western news outlets to spread disinformation about U.S. political candidates and the ongoing war in Ukraine. This operation was reportedly orchestrated by a collective of Russian marketing agencies.

Prosecutors provided evidence from these agencies detailing their strategies. Central to the program was the identification of Western influencers sympathetic to specific narratives and finding methods to collaborate with them.

A report indicated that the Russian entities were actively monitoring 2,800 influencers, including 600 based in the U.S., encompassing a diverse range of media personalities.

A senior intelligence official commented, “Russian influence actors have undertaken distinct efforts during this election cycle to build and use networks of U.S. and other Western personalities to create and disseminate Russian-friendly narratives.”

It remains uncertain when or how the FBI alerts American social media influencers that they might be unwittingly participating in foreign disinformation campaigns. A senior intelligence official acknowledged that the process is complex and case-specific, requiring interagency coordination. Recently, it was noted that briefings aimed at informing Americans of foreign influence targeting have been on the rise.