A groundbreaking report from the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) at the German Marshall Fund has revealed a disturbing trend: foreign threat actors from Russia, China, and Iran are increasingly targeting local communities across the United States. Meanwhile, China focuses on strategic propaganda, as seen in Arizona (2023), where state-linked entities infiltrated U.S. news outlets, and Hawaii (2023), where AI-generated images spread false conspiracy theories about the Maui wildfires. Iran’s campaigns often target individuals and institutions, such as the 2020 voter intimidation emails in Florida and 2024 fake news targeting Arab-American communities in Michigan. While analysts at the German Marshall Fund presents Russia, China, and Iran as key players in global disinformation efforts, each employing distinct tactics to manipulate public opinion. Using sophisticated tactics, including artificial intelligence (AI), social media manipulation, and impersonation, these actors have infiltrated state and local discourse in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Using the DISARM Red framework, the report categorizes these operations into four key tactics: crafting divisive narratives, establishing fake personas, disseminating manipulated media, and amplifying content through bots and trolls. Public awareness must be enhanced to expose foreign interference tactics, while collaboration between federal agencies, state governments, and private-sector platforms is crucial for a united defense. The ASD report serves as a call to action for policymakers, tech companies, and citizens to safeguard democracy at every level, from national institutions to local communities. These disinformation campaigns actively erode public trust in institutions by spreading conspiracy theories, such as falsely linking Maine lobsters to COVID-19 origins. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:25:23 +0000