Intel officials expect more foreign influence efforts leading up to Election Day; DHS takes the next step on research into algorithms and violent online content

Intelligence community officials said Friday they expect Russia, Iran and China to increase the cadence of influence operations targeting U.S. voters over the final two months of the 2024 election cycle. The assessment comes after a whirlwind month where U.S. officials accused Iran of engaging in a hack-and-leak operation targeting the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and JD Vance, and this week imposed indictments, seizures and economic sanctions on Russian government officials and members of state media organ RT for a $10 million scheme to covertly launder pro-Russian propaganda through the right-wing media outfit Tenet Media and popular conservative influencers. But officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told reporters Friday that they continue to view these activities as forms of election “influence” as opposed to direct attempts to interfere with or disrupt voting and election infrastructure.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate plans to award a contract to the nonprofit OpenMined for research and development-related services meant to curb online content related to violent extremism, according to a government posting. The agreement comes as part of the U.S. government’s work in response to the Christchurch Call, which the Biden administration joined in 2021. That initiative, which brings together technology platforms and government leaders, was formed following the 2019 mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 51 people.

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