Microsoft Says Russian Propaganda Group Behind Fake Kamala Hit-And-Run Story

Among the numerous benefits that social media brings, there are a few drawbacks it harbors – namely, the spread of disinformation, fake news and false narratives.

Especially at the time of elections. With the public already divided based on political groups, such content further fuels the fire. Moreover, when the content shared can help support one side’s arguments, it spreads like wildfire.

Aiming to tackle this, Microsoft recently published a report that highlighted a wide range of such cases that are designed to influence votes in the 2024 United States elections, which are pushed by foreign propaganda-focused groups.

So, what did the company find about groups trying to spread disinformation? Let’s explore!

What Did The Microsoft Research Report Say?

 

• Through a blog post published on its website, Microsoft warned people of Russian and Iranian propaganda groups specializing in spreading fake news and disinformation.

• The blog post summarizes a detailed report put out by Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center (MTAC)

• The move comes as both countries are focused on influencing the United States 2024 election results to favor their own geopolitical goals.

• As such, these propaganda groups are targeting both, Republican and Democratic leaders.

What Fake Content Was Spread Targeting The Democratic Party?

 

• Recently, a video showing Kamala Harris’ involvement in a hit-and-run accident in San Francisco in 2011 that left a 13-year-old girl paralyzed went viral.

• The video was pushed through a website pretending to be a local San Francisco news outlet named KBSF-TV and included a video featuring an actor portraying the alleged victim.

• As per Microsoft, the website was created only days before the video was posted.

• The video, which went viral on social media with the hashtag #HitAndRunKamala, reportedly garnered over 2.7 million views, showcasing the effectiveness of the disinformation campaign.

• The report credits the disinformation piece to “a Kremlin-aligned troll farm” that Microsoft calls Storm-1516.

• The same group was responsible for producing misleading videos previously that featured actors impersonating whistleblowers or journalists to spread false information.

• Ahead of this, one video showed a Harris supporter attacking a Trump supporter at a Trump rally, which also garnered millions of views on social media.

• Another group, dubbed Storm-1679, which is also believed to be aligned with the Kremlin, switched focus from producing content about the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to creating fake content discrediting Vice President Harris.

• Here, the group showcased a billboard in New York City with false claims about the Harris-Walz campaign and policies.

• This was published on Telegram and pushed on X, where it received over 100,000 views in just four hours.

• Previously, the Chinese-based group known as Storm-1852 also shared videos critical of the Biden-Harris government, some of which were taken down following various reports.

What Fake Content Was Spread Targeting The Republican Party?

 

• At the same time, a previous report by Microsoft also outlined the inclusion of Iranian propaganda groups aiming to discredit Republican party leaders, including former President Donald Trump.

• One Iranian group launched covert news sites targeting Republicans. This includes Nio Thinker, which insulted former president Donald Trump, calling him an “opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA china shop” and a “raving mad litigiosaur.”

• Another Iranian group, which was preparing for influence operations since March, aimed to incite violence and chaos, intimidate political figures and undermine election integrity.

• A group linked to the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) attempted a spear-phishing attack in June targeting a presidential campaign official and later tried to access a former candidate's account.

• A fourth Iranian group compromised a county-level government employee's account in a swing state as part of a broader operation, focusing on intelligence collection in key sectors.

What Did Microsoft Executives Say?

 

• Through the blog post, Clint Watts, General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, said, “Russia and Iran have both undertaken cyber influence operations headed into the 2024 presidential election.”

• “The shift to focusing on the Harris-Walz campaign reflects a strategic move by Russian actors aimed at exploiting any perceived vulnerabilities in the new candidates.”

• “Collectively, these three nation states — Iran, China and Russia — demonstrate the complexities of foreign interference that the US faces, and the need for the public to remain vigilant against these evolving threats.”

• “MTAC will continue to monitor this activity, and provide updates so voters, government institutions, candidates, parties, and others can be aware of influence campaigns.”

Do you think social media companies need to be more vigilant in ensuring fake news and false narratives are not spread on their platforms, especially considering propaganda groups try to influence election results?

Let us know in the comments below!