How Foreign Influencers Interfere in American Elections

Last week, staff at US Together received a training conducted by the Ohio Secretary of State about state-sponsored disinformation campaigns targeting minority communities in the run up to the 2020 Presidential Election. These campaigns are designed to exploit the grievances of minority communities to incite feelings of paranoia or anger. For example, in 2016, Russian disinformation campaigns targeted black individuals on social media more than any other group to amplify existing social tensions and discourage black individuals from voting. Federal indictments reveal the reach of recent Russian disinformation campaigns, with over 126 million Americans consuming and interacting with fake content intended to amplify societal divisions.

In an effort to combat false and dangerous information circulating on the internet, we will be sharing information and techniques for identifying and reporting fake accounts. Here are five ways foreigners interfere in American elections:

Targeting Divisive Issues

Foreign influencers seek opportunities to inflame preexisting tensions and grievances. Their goal is to divide communities and weaken entire populations of voters.

Moving Accounts Into Place

Accounts are often controlled by the same user. They are typically renamed and reused because building social media accounts with a large following takes time and resources. Be aware of an account’s activity history. Real accounts usually have several interests and post content from a variety of sources. If an account has posted 50 times in the last week about the same topic and doesn’t have a strong, interactive support base, it is likely fraudulent.

Amplifying and Distorting the Conversation

Foreign influencers try to pollute American debates with false information to further polarize communities and strengthen extreme arguments by picking fights or “trolling” people online. Trolls start fights with people on the internet to distract or sow discord by posting inflammatory messages with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses. If it seems like an account is only aiming to raise tensions, think about whether it’s worth engaging.

Making the Mainstream

Foreign influencers “fan the flames” by creating controversy, amplifying the most extreme version of arguments on both sides of an issue. They then share these arguments online disguised as legitimate information sources. Sometimes, controversies in a private online community enter the maintstream to create division among Americans.

Taking the Conversation Into the Real World

In the past, Krelmin agents have organized or funded protests to further stoke divisions among Americans. They create event pages and ask followers to meet in person. What they start in cyberspace can turn very real, very quickly. Beware of such events - know who is inviting you and why.