Microsoft’s latest research shows that rumors circulating on social media about Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris being involved in a hit-and-run accident in San Francisco in 2011, causing a 13-year-old girl to be paralyzed, are the result of a Russian disinformation campaign.
According to a report released by Microsoft, Russia created a video, hired an actor to play the supposed victim, and spread this false narrative through a non-existent San Francisco news outlet called “KBSF-TV.”
Microsoft identified the Russian organization behind this operation as “Storm-1516,” believed to be a troll farm aligned with the Kremlin, aimed at influencing political perspectives online by disseminating misinformation.
This indicates that Russia has intensified its efforts to influence foreign affairs ahead of the U.S. election on November 5th, as stated by Microsoft.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comments from Reuters.
In a blog post released by Microsoft on Tuesday, it was revealed that after Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Russia briefly ceased its interference in Democratic Party affairs.
However, in late August, members of Storm-1516 began producing content, entangling Kamala Harris and her running mate in bizarre false conspiracy theories.
Experts note that Storm-1516 is known for creating deceptive videos where actors impersonate whistleblowers or journalists, spreading fake scandals.
Recently, Storm-1516 produced and disseminated two untrue videos, each garnering “millions of views.” In addition to fabricating the “Hit and Run” story involving Kamala Harris, another video alleged that her supporter attacked a purported Trump rally attendee.
Online registration records show that KBSF-TV was created just days before the fabricated hit-and-run incident was reported. Despite its falsity, the video managed to influence many individuals, leading to the appearance of the hashtag “#HitAndRunKamala” on the X social platform.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged two employees of the Russian media outlet RT with money laundering, indicating their plans to engage a U.S. company in producing online content to influence elections.
U.S. officials believe that Russia’s goal is to exacerbate political divisions in America, undermining public support for providing military aid to Ukraine. Kamala Harris has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression if elected.
In the same report, Microsoft also revealed activities related to an influence operator associated with the Chinese Communist Party, labeled as “Storm-1852.”
Researchers discovered that while most participants of Storm-1852 posed as conservative U.S. voters who supported Trump, a few accounts produced anti-Trump content.
Microsoft suggests that individuals affiliated with Storm-1852 seem less interested in backing a specific candidate but are likely sowing seeds of doubt and confusion among American voters before the 2024 presidential election.
Apart from China, Russia, Microsoft recently disclosed Iran’s influence operation in the U.S. election.
“These three countries – Iran, China (CCP), and Russia – collectively showcase the complexity of foreign interference faced by the U.S., underscoring the need for vigilance against these evolving threats,” stated Microsoft.
“The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) will continue monitoring such activities and provide updated information to empower voters, government agencies, candidates, political parties, and others to be aware of these influence operations, enhancing their ability to resist foreign intervention in democratic processes,” Microsoft asserted.