Musk is ramping up election disinformation about X. You can avoid it

No matter how you vote, know that foreign governments who view America as the enemy are trying to influence you and will continue to do so after Election Day. Check your sources.

The video has been viewed millions of times on X, this stinking hole of misinformation formerly known as Twitter, and is still posted there despite being exposed as a foreign hoax trying to influence our elections with lies.

A man is fraudulently impersonating a former high school student from Minnesota and makes false accusations of sexual assault by the state’s governor, Tim Walz, a former teacher and now the Democratic candidate for vice president.

Who would do it? And why? Our past elections are prologue when it comes to disinformation.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) recently assessed that “Russian actors of influence created and disseminated false content alleging illegal activities by Walz “consistent with the influence efforts and tactics” the Russians used during this election.

Washington Post tracked down a former student posing as someone else in the video, who said it was not him and that Waltz was not his teacher.

Elon Musk, multi-billionaire trying to buy Donald Trump’s way back to the White House, owns X and became itself a pernicious amplifier of election disinformation. No wonder he left the video for everyone to see.

American voters need to do two important and patriotic things over the next nine days: vote for whichever presidential candidate you support and dodge the gathering storm of disinformation. Here’s an optional third challenge: Ask yourself why this type of disinformation tends to lean so heavily toward helping Trump win.

Elon Musk is spreading misinformation about the election. Surprised?

This kind of bullshit comes in all sizes. The fake video about Walz has received a lot of national attention, but the misinformation is also targeting the local level.

Post on X Thursday from an account dedicated to disinformation claimed to have included the video Mail-in ballots cast for Trump are being destroyed in Bucks County, a key Pennsylvania seat of Vice President Kamala Harris. gained support from crossover Republican voters 11 days ago.

law enforcement agencies, from the local district attorney to the FBIintervened as the video received more than half a million views online before it was removed.

This too was a fake, a hoax deliberately created to stir up controversy. Bucks County Board of Elections released a bipartisan statement Thursday, condemning “this targeted spread of dangerous misinformation.”

ODNI on Friday said the video was fake. the work of “Russian actors” in an ongoing “broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of U.S. elections and stoke divisions among Americans.”

Opinion: Musk’s millions are a hollow attempt to attract attention as he tries to support Trump

David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer who founded Center for Election Innovation and Researchtold me that this year’s misinformation looks like “a repeat of the greatest hits of 2022 and 2020.”

There have been many false claims in this election about destroyed and fraudulent ballots, dead people and non-citizens voting, and so on.

“The amplification of most of these can be attributed to Elon Musk and the Twitter accounts he follows, well-known disinformation accounts, most of which repeat talking points that we know have been spread by Russia, China and Iran,” Becker said.

The Wall Street Journal just reported that Musk has maintained regular contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin for almost two years. My standard rule regarding coincidences in politics has long been this: I simply don’t believe in them.

Election misinformation has been on the rise since 2016

Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center warns on Wednesday about “ongoing influence efforts by Russia, Iran and China to undermine democratic processes in the United States.” The Russians appear to be seeking to harm Harris’ campaign, Microsoft said. The Iranians, on a smaller scale, are targeting Trump.

A website has been created for the government agency in Georgia that handles absentee voting. target of a failed cyber attacklikely from overseas, which slowed down the system earlier this month but did not affect voters or ballots.

ODNI, October 16. declassified memo on external threats In our election, which predicted that China, Iran and Russia would continue disinformation and cyberattacks after polls close on November 5 to sow division and confusion, and are “likely willing to at least consider tactics that could incite or promote violent protests.” “

Opinion: In an unpredictable election, one thing is certain: Trump will lie about it.

It is predictable that America’s enemies will try to influence and undermine the tense presidential election. We’ve seen this before in the 2016 elections.

AND Russian state media were exposed last month for the influx of rubles into income streams three high-profile right-wing agitators/influencers who then stated that they did not know that they were being financed by foreign money. I think it’s just a coincidence that their opinions coincided with what the Russian government wanted to hear. What is this rule about coincidences?

We are all, to varying degrees, potential audiences for this kind of disinformation. Recent opinion polls show different views on elections and their consequences depending on the political party. This seems like an opportunity that could be exploited by attackers.

We must stay focused throughout Election Day.

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll conducted last week found: very narrow race between Harris and Trump, and they are essentially related. It also found that voters generally have confidence in electoral processes and the people who run them. But when I dug into the numbers, there were clear differences.

Of the 1,000 likely voters surveyed, 75% said they would accept the result if the candidate they support does not win. Nearly 90% of Democrats surveyed said that although Almost 70% of Republicans agreed.

About the same number said that they are very or somewhat I am confident that the election result will be accurately calculated: 93% of Democrats thought so, and 63% of Republicans agreed.

Trust shifts by party when voters are asked about a peaceful transfer of power and the possibility of political violence: 59% Democrats expect a peaceful transition, while 86% are concerned about violence. 76% of Republicans expect a peaceful transition, while 49% fear violence.

No matter how you vote – Republican, Democrat, Independent, etc. – know that foreign governments who consider America the enemy are now trying to influence you and will continue to do so after Election Day. Check your sources. Get information directly from state and local election officials who continue to have and deserve your trust.

Avoid the atmosphere. Don’t accept or amplify claims you see online just because they feel straight to you. This is a hook for misinformation. Don’t swallow this.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan