Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement

[OKIsItJustMe]

Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODNI News Release No. 29-24
November 4, 2024

Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement

…

“Since our statement on Friday, the IC has been observing foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, conducting additional influence operations intended to undermine public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections and stoke divisions among Americans. The IC expects these activities will intensify through election day and in the coming weeks, and that foreign influence narratives will focus on swing states.

Russia is the most active threat. Influence actors linked to Russia in particular are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences, judging from information available to the IC. These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials. We anticipate Russian actors will release additional manufactured content with these themes through election day and in the days and weeks after polls close.

• The IC assesses that Russian influence actors recently posted and amplified an article falsely claiming that U.S. officials across swing states plan to orchestrate election fraud using a range of tactics, such as ballot stuffing and cyber attacks.
• Russian influence actors also manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona, which involved creating fake overseas ballots and changing voter rolls to favor Vice President Kamala Harris. The Arizona Secretary of State has already refuted the video’s claim as false.

Iran also remains a significant foreign influence threat to U.S. elections. As noted in a prior update, we have assessed that Iran has conducted malicious cyber activities to compromise former President Trump’s campaign. Iranian influence actors may also seek to create fake media content intended to suppress voting or stoke violence, as they have done in past election cycles. We previously reported that Iran also remains determined to seek revenge against select former US officials whom it views as culpable for the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) Commander Soleimani in January 2020. It has repeatedly highlighted former President Donald Trump among its priority targets for retribution.

…

Read more: https://www.odni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2024/4015-pr-29-24

[onecaliberal]

1. Why can't we turn them off?

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Social media insiders warn user safeguards and efforts to stop disinformation have been 'cut to the bone'

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-04/social-media-whistleblowers-insiders-safeguards-disinformation/104547868

Social media insiders warn user safeguards and efforts to stop disinformation have been 'cut to the bone'
By Louise Milligan, Alex McDonald and Jemima Burt
Sun 3 Nov

They were the people tasked with keeping users safe on the world's biggest social media platforms.

One by one they left the companies, disturbed by the risks of disinformation, threats to democracy and extreme dangers, particularly for young people.

These former insiders and whistleblowers say the guardrails meant to protect users are limited and ineffective and social media companies are reluctant to respond to criticism.

Whether or not you use X, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, these platforms are shaping the world, upending lives and having profound consequences for their youngest users.

…

[royable]

3. Why can't we just not look at social media, or at least not believe everything we see there?

??

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. This is as social mediay as I get

Yesterday, I was debunking disinformation believed by intelligent people. One of them mentioned that when you see a story it’s easy to disregard it, but, when you see it twice, you begin to think, “Maybe there’s something to it…”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/misinformation-desk/202202/misinform-rinse-repeat-effective-talk-radio-tactic

Misinform, Rinse, Repeat: An Effective Talk-Radio Tactic
Repeated misinformation is more believable, in the media and elsewhere.
Posted February 22, 2022 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

KEY POINTS

• Psychological science is increasingly being applied in political contexts.


• Talk-radio personalities' use of repetition—common among political commentators—is a proven, powerful persuasion technique.


• Psychological research shows that repeated untruths are increasingly believable, even in contexts in which listeners know the truth.

It’s become clear that both sides of the U.S. political aisle use psychological concepts and research in their talking points. In our most recent post, we highlighted the benefits of incorporating a psychological perspective in political podcasts and opinion pieces, especially those that address strife and division. Unfortunately, psychological research can be applied in harmful ways as well.

…

[PSPS]

5. I stopped reading at "both sides"

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Yeah, I hear you

But… we have a newish profession, “Political Consultant.” A “political consultant” is essentially in sales, they sell candidates. They do that using psychology. Just watch how candidates “workshop” short mottos like “A thousand points of light” (a George HW Bush campaign hook that came from a focus group watching a Reagan speech.) Bush’s key “issues” came from “focus groups.” For example, he would have passed a law requiring Massachusetts school children to recite the "pledge of allegiance.” (Never mind that Governor Dukakis, had been advised that such a law was unconstitutional. The focus groups said it would sell, and it did!)

Bill Clinton did the same thing, quite successfully. Campaigns are carefully crafted using psychology. “Hard work is good work!”

Watch A Face in the Crowd to see a political consultant at work.

[PSPS]

7. There's a difference here.

In your OP, the advisory is talking specifically about a foreign adversary maliciously influencing the public to initiate discord and violence. This bears no similarity whatsoever to the historical references you're making regarding past presidents.

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. I apologize for being too subtle

Note that I quoted, “Hard work is good work!” I might also have mentioned that, “When we fight, we win!” I might also add, “We are not going back!” “Together, we can win this!” and “We are not playing around."

“USA! USA! USA!”

Well, at least it’s not “Lock him up!” (but I certainly hope someone does.)

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. Interestingly, Putin tries to damage democracies with disinformation; facts to citizens would damage Putin's rule.

[Mike 03]

10. Yes, his strategy seems to be to destroy democracies

so he can assure Russian citizens there is nothing better than what they have. "You see? Democracy doesn't work."

If he can't raise Russia up, he'll try to lower other countries. He's even creating chaos across the Sahel region of Africa (albeit, for slightly different reasons).