A new document from Microsoft reveals that China is influencing American elections by influencing numerous Republican presidential candidates.
Sharing a report on Wednesday regarding foreign election interference efforts, Microsoft said,” With two weeks until Election Day 2024, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center ( MTAC ) observes sustained influence efforts by Russia, Iran, and China aimed at undermining U. S. democratic processes”.
Microsoft’s report revealed that China is trying to damage the 2024 campaigns of Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala. ), Michael McCaul (R-Texas ), and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn. ). The report also showed that China has targeted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla. ), who is not up for reelection in November.
” Chinese influence operations have focused on down-ballot Republican candidates and members of Congress that advocate for anti-Chinese policies” , , Microsoft , stated. ” Stars have parroted racist information, enhanced accusations of corruption, and promoted opposition individuals. While not always resulting in higher levels of engagement, these initiatives demonstrate China’s sustained efforts control U. S. elections across the board”.
According to , Reuters, the Democratic candidates are being targeted by Taizi Flood, which is a group that has been linked with China’s Ministry of Public Security. In response to Microsoft’s record of Taiwanese election meddling, Reuters said a Chinese embassy spokesperson claimed China “has no purpose and will not interfere in the U. S. vote” and suggested that vote intervention claims were “full of malignant speculations”.
McCaul claimed that standing up for the CCP has become a “badge of respect” because he has made it a “central part of my job” when he told Reuters that China had targeted him. It is n’t surprising that they are targeting me and other politicians who support Israel to try to sow division in advance of the most important election in our lifetime, Moore said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party is “anti-Semitic.”
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Microsoft warned about foreign governments ‘ efforts to influence the 2024 election, saying that “historical research has shown that foreign actors ‘ ability to quickly spread false information can significantly affect public perception and democratic outcomes. With a special emphasis on the 48 days before and after Election Day, citizens, state institutions, individuals, and parties must be vigilant against false and suspicious activity online”.
In addition to China’s attempts to woo Republican candidates, a Microsoft’s record warned that Iran and China are using social media to influence Americans before the November election.
” During times of heightened emotion, fight, and competition, manipulated images, sound, and video frequently travel further and faster across followers than during an average information period”, Microsoft said. In these circumstances, foreign actors have demonstrated nimble and capable of inserting deceptive content and quickly disseminating it.