The FBI warns of fake videos using his name to spread election misinformation

Topline

The FBI issued a statement Tuesday warning of two fake videos that used the agency’s name and insignia to spread election misinformation, as concerns about misinformation and foreign influence grow on Election Day.

Important facts

Important background

According to CBS News, the videos were likely part of a series of fake videos created by a Russian influence operation. It cites Antibot4Navalny, a group of researchers who track online disinformation about Russia. The FBI debunked two more fake videos Saturday that contained false claims about election fraud-related arrests and rumors about Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris. The research group also attributed the previously produced videos to the same Russian operation. Election officials are bracing for a deluge of misinformation on Election Day and in the days after, as generative artificial intelligence and deepfake technology allow fake content to become increasingly sophisticated and U.S. officials warn of foreign efforts to undermine the election. “Russia is the most active threat,” the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a joint statement Monday.

Crucial quote

“We can expect a lot of fake videos, deep fakes and a lot of lies, not before the vote but after.” It’s really important that we remember that the counting of votes will take a few days. That doesn’t mean it’s a problem. That doesn’t mean there’s fraud,” Michael Waldman, president of New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, which focuses on democratic systems, told ABC News on Tuesday.

tangent

Concerns about the role of Russian influence operations are growing as two polling places in a majority-black precinct in the key swing state of Georgia were temporarily closed after receiving bomb threats that the FBI later deemed unreliable. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the state had “identified the source, and it was from Russia.” U.S. intelligence officials also viewed a video that falsely claimed to show a Haitian immigrant talking about it, multiple times in two Georgia counties to vote as the work of “Russian influencers” on Friday.

Further reading

2024 Election Live Updates: Man with Flare Gun and Torch Arrested at US Capitol (Live Updates) (Forbes)