Presidential election a prime target for foreign disinformation, intelligence officials say

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials who track disinformation campaigns say they’re issuing more warnings to political candidates, government officials and others targeted by foreign groups as America’s adversaries seek to influence the 2024 election. The warnings are issued when officials determine that a foreign group is seeking to spread disinformation about a candidate or group. Nations like Russia, China and Iran have used online propaganda and disinformation in an effort to influence elections before, and new advances in artificial intelligence only heighten the risk. U.S. officials say they are closely monitoring for election disinformation and will warn the public if a foreign government seeks to meddle with the vote on a large scale.