Russia focusing on American social media stars to covertly influence voters, say US officials

Russia is increasingly turning to American social media stars to covertly influence voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to US officials and recently unveiled criminal charges.

“What we see them doing is relying on witting and unwitting Americans to seed, promote and add credibility to narratives that serve these foreign actors’ interest,” a senior intelligence official said in a briefing on Friday.

“These foreign countries typically calculate that Americans are more likely to believe other Americans’ views.”