Mercedes Scheible, Samuel Pearson
Finley Thomas, Alice Cian, Editor; Jennifer Loy, Chief Editor
October 30, 2024
Example of Posts Alleging Illegal Voting[1]
Event: A network of X accounts with over 14 million views is spreading disinformation about foreign nationals voting illegally in the US election. The accounts are using similar language and content to share images of ballots and foreign documents to imply large-scale election fraud. The network’s misleading content has gained visibility across major social media platforms, undermining public trust in the election process.[2]
Significance: This disinformation campaign will likely threaten public trust in election processes and security. Foreign actors, such as Russia or China, will likely exploit this narrative to increase further societal divisions within the country and strengthen distrust in the electoral system. Such tactics will very likely increase negative public sentiment, which will likely raise the likelihood of partisan tensions and protests at political events. Disinformation about illegal and overseas voting used to steal the election will very likely become a precursor to potential violence, especially by far-right members. Republican officials will likely bring cases to the courts which glorify and portray former President Donald Trump as a victim, likely increasing the risk of retaliatory attacks from his supporters. Claims over immigrants being used to steal the election will very likely increase hate crimes directed toward communities of color. The spread of false narratives will likely urge law enforcement and governments to reinforce security measures at polling stations to protect voters, which will likely affect voter turnout and slow down voting processes.
Recommendations
The Counterterrorism Group (CTG) recommends that X and other social media platforms enhance their monitoring frameworks to combat widespread disinformation and apply real-time fact-checking to election-related posts.
Federal and local authorities should collaborate to increase knowledge-sharing and assess foreign influence around the election to address misinformation and prevent the escalation of related threats.
Election administrators should strengthen their communication channels to increase overall transparency and legitimacy of voting processes and information.
Government agencies should provide transparent security updates in electoral processes and strengthen their partnership with local election offices to address security concerns quickly to reduce the risk of public distrust through disinformation.
Cybersecurity companies should work closely with social media platforms to counter election-related disinformation and safeguard platforms from foreign actors attempting to undermine public trust within the US.
If there is any additional and or critical information please contact us at The Counterterrorism Group (CTG) by Telephone 202-643-2848 or email info@counterterrorismgroup.com
[1] HUMINT Source on X, October 30, 2024
[2] A baseless voting claim is being amplified by a network of social media accounts, National Public Radio, October 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/10/29/nx-s1-5171438/social-media-voting-conspiracies-noncitizens