Russian election interference efforts targeting Harris campaign, Microsoft finds

 Russian interference in the upcoming U.S. presidential election is increasingly targeting Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign, according to a new report from Microsoft. The findings, released on Tuesday, reveal that Kremlin-linked groups have shifted their tactics in recent weeks, focusing on spreading fake videos aimed at discrediting Harris.

The videos include fabrications such as Harris supporters attacking Trump supporters and a staged hit-and-run incident featuring an actor posing as Harris. One of these videos even went viral, amassing millions of views, while another was distributed through a fake San Francisco news outlet to appear more credible.

In addition to the videos, the groups shared false Harris-related content on social media platforms like X and Telegram, including a fake New York City billboard promoting false Harris policies. Within hours, this video had garnered over 100,000 views on X, according to Microsoft.

This revelation follows the Justice Department's recent takedown of more than 30 websites linked to Russian election influence operations. Microsoft experts have noted that these influence groups are quickly creating new websites to continue spreading misinformation. Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, highlighted that the shift to targeting the Harris-Walz campaign represents a deliberate effort by Russian actors to exploit perceived weaknesses in the new ticket.

China has also been active in similar efforts, with a group known as Storm-1852 attempting to spread critical content about Harris and Biden on social media. However, many of the group's activities ceased once their involvement was exposed. Earlier this month, Chinese influence campaigns were also found to be exploiting divisive social issues in the U.S.

Microsoft warned that these influence efforts are likely to intensify as the election approaches, especially from Russia. Moscow is expected to use hacking groups and potentially AI-generated propaganda to bolster its online messaging campaigns. This latest report is part of Microsoft's ongoing threat assessments in the lead-up to the election. Last month, the company accused Iran of launching its own efforts to target the U.S. elections.