How U.S. adversaries undermine the perception of election integrity

Hacking election infrastructure remains difficult, but attempts to hack people’s minds can be as easy as spinning up fake social media profiles and websites. While federal agencies and election officials repeatedly affirm the physical security and cybersecurity of U.S. elections, a significant vulnerability remains — the public’s belief in the integrity of elections. America’s adversaries — specifically China, Russia, and Iran — are seeking to cast doubt on the very value of democratic processes because America’s most enduring asset is the strength of its democracy.

Exposing these malicious campaigns limits our adversaries’ ability to sow discord and spread lies about America’s political system. For this reason, in the lead-up to and following the November elections, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) will produce reports providing a snapshot of the foreign malign influence operations of Iran, Russia, and China targeting U.S. voters.

The reports will focus on attempts by U.S. adversaries to create inauthentic accounts, pages, and media brands that present themselves as the voices of actual Americans while delivering content crafted by Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing. The reports will emphasize examples of such deception that FDD has uncovered through its own research. While America’s adversaries also produce content that they distribute via outlets openly affiliated with their governments, such as Sputnik or China Daily, they are increasingly investing in capabilities to conduct covert influence operations.