Russia’s 2024 election interference has already begun
NBCFeb 26
US Feds Dismantle Alleged Russian 'Bot Farm'
story
Image copyright: Nathan Stirk/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The US Justice Department (DOJ) alleged Tuesday that the Kremlin funded nearly 1K artificial intelligence (AI)-generated X accounts, known as "bot" accounts, pretending to be Americans to spread pro-Russian stories.
The DOJ said the alleged network was organized by an unnamed editor at the Russian news outlet RT, which was banned in the EU following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Tech platforms TikTok, Meta, and Google have also limited its online reach.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The Kremlin used social media to sow discord in the US in 2016, to help Trump, and during the 2022 midterm elections, so it's no surprise that it's meddling yet again. Whether it's the Ukraine war or immigration, Russian disinformation bots capitalize on domestic political tension to sow further discord among Americans and break down its democracy. A Russian victory over Ukraine depends on America's support for Kyiv, which is why these cyber attacks must end now.
Establishment-critical narrative
The US government is again blaming Russia for election interference when it's US intelligence agencies doing so. Since before the 2020 election, Twitter, under its previous leadership, as well as other platforms like Facebook, worked hand-in-hand with the CIA and NSA to silence Trump supporters and anyone else critical of the establishment. Americans should not trust a word out of the mouths of Big Tech, the government, or the so-called anti-disinformation industry.
