[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IRAN IS STEPPING UP ITS ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE THE 20-24 U-S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM MICROSOFT – IRANIAN OPERATIVES HAVE BEEN CREATING FAKE NEWS OUTLETS TARGETING LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE VOTERS… AND TRYING TO HACK A  PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN – THOUGH MICROSOFT DID NOT SPECIFY WHICH ONE.

MICROSOFT COMPILED OPEN-SOURCE INFORMATION ON TOP OF ITS OWN INTERNAL DATA FOR ITS LATEST THREAT INTELLIGENCE REPORT.

THE REPORT OFFERS SOME OF THE CLEAREST PUBLIC EXAMPLES YET OF WHAT U-S INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS CALLED AN ONGOING COVERT SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN BY IRAN TO UNDERCUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S CANDIDACY… AS WELL AS THEIR PLAN TO  INCREASE “SOCIAL DISCORD” AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.

ACCORDING TO MICROSOFT’S THREAT ANALYSIS CENTER… IRAN “LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR INFLUENCE CAMPAIGNS ON TRENDING ELECTION-RELATED TOPICS AND BEGAN TO ACTIVATE THESE CAMPAIGNS IN AN APPARENT EFFORT TO STIR UP CONTROVERSY OR SWAY VOTERS – ESPECIALLY IN SWING STATES.”

MICROSOFT’S REPORT ALSO SHOWED RUSSIAN OPERATIVES HAVE BEEN TRYING TO “DRIVE HEADLINES WITH FAKE SCANDALS” SINCE APRIL. 

SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE HEADLINES THAT FALSELY CLAIM THE C-I-A TOLD A UKRAINIAN TROLL FARM TO DISRUPT THE UPCOMING US ELECTION… THE F-B-I WIRETAPPED TRUMP’S RESIDENCE… AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS BURNED AN EFFIGY OF TRUMP. 

AND – THEY SAY CHINESE ONLINE OPERATIVES HAVE TRIED TO USE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ONLINE ACCOUNTS TO AMPLIFY OUTRAGE AROUND THE PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS AT U-S UNIVERSITIES A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. 

THE IRANIAN, RUSSIAN, AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ALL DENY DOING ANYTHING TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION.