U.S. Elections 2024

The Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) of the Atlantic Council is dedicated to identifying foreign malign influence and information manipulation targeting the 2024 U.S. election. On this page, you will find our compiled research and reporting on 2024 U.S. election threats, as well as links to our historical U.S. case studies. The DFRLab’s nonpartisan election coverage complements that of the wider Atlantic Council, whose compiled commentary and analysis you can find at Elections 2024: America’s role in the world.

Latest PUBLICATIONS

December 2024

Alternative European media spread pro-Kremlin narratives targeting Moldova vote

by Daniela Calmis

EU Reporter and EU Today’s coverage appeared aimed at discrediting Moldova’s recent presidential election and EU integration referendum
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December 2024

Cross-platform campaign in Georgia emphasizes China as an alternative to the United States

by Sopo Gelava

Pro-Russian and pro-government actors claim China respects Georgia’s sovereignty and can guarantee the country’s territorial integrity
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December 2024

Suspicious Georgia protest-related Facebook ads lure users into financial scam

by Sopo Gelava, Givi Gigitashvili

Many ads impersonated local media outlets to direct users to financial scam websites
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November 2024

Brazil’s electoral deepfake law tested as AI-generated content targeted local elections

by Beatriz Farrugia

For the first time, Brazil held elections under new regulations prohibiting deepfakes, yet dozens of instances proliferated prior to voting
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November 2024

Russian milbloggers employed nuclear scare tactics following Ukrainian incursion of Kursk

by Iryna Adam, Roman Osadchuk

Telegram channels claimed that Ukraine intended to attack Russian nuclear power plants, then exploited a site visit by IAEA Director Rafael Grossi
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November 2024

Seizing the Win: Navigating Competition and Hands-on Learning through Cyber 9/12 

by Safa Shahwan Edwards, Emerson Johnston

Competitors and judges from the inaugural Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge in Costa Rica share their perspectives on how to leverage teamwork and interdisciplinary skills to address tomorrow’s cyber challenges.
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November 2024

Pro-Hezbollah accounts orchestrated digital smear campaign against Lebanese journalists

by Ali Chenrose, Jad Hani, Jad Safwan

The X campaign sought to discredit five Lebanese media workers with edited media, gender-based violence, and threats
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November 2024

The Role of Data in Improving Cyber Insurance Pricing

by Alphaeus Hanson

In order to improve cybersecurity through cyber insurance, the private sector should aggregate cyber incident data to inform risk models and in turn, more accurately price cyber premiums.
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November 2024

Investigation: Chinese bot network is amplifying Russian disinformation about the US election

Videos claiming election fraud in the final hours of the US election, exhibiting multiple indicators of connections to “Operation Overload”
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November 2024

What to expect from foreign threat actors following the 2024 US election

by Dina Sadek, Max Rizzuto

US intelligence community on high alert for the intensification of influence operations in the days and weeks following the 2024 US election
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November 2024

Trends in China’s US election interference illustrate its longer game

by Kenton Thibaut

Chinese malign information operations focusing on down-ballot Senate and House races rather than favoring a particular presidential candidate
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November 2024

Sockpuppet network impersonating Americans and Canadians amplifies pro-Israel narratives on X

by Ali Chenrose

A network of accounts on X using stolen and possibly AI-generated images coordinated to engage with accounts supportive of Israel
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November 2024

Take the Bribe but Watch Your Back: Why Russia Imprisoned a Security Officer for Taking Cybercriminal Payoffs 

by Justin Sherman

Russia imprisoned a security service officer for taking bribes from cybercriminals—showing not a willingness to crack down on cybercrime, but instead just how much the Kremlin wants to maintain its cybercrime protection racket.
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November 2024

How mainstream Georgian media shaped perceptions of the foreign agent law protests

by Sopo Gelava, Givi Gigitashvili, Esteban Ponce de León

Georgian media promoted opposing views, with TV channels critical of the law outperforming pro-government channels
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October 2024

Russia-linked media outlets amplify conspiracies about US election rule changes

by Meredith Furbish

Kremlin-linked outlets fueling unfounded claims about voter fraud in US swing states
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October 2024

A Conversation with Věra Jourová: Lessons from EU Election Interference 

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Assessing lessons learned from information interference operations during the European Parliament elections.
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October 2024

Georgia’s ruling party using Facebook ads to claim Western interference in the country’s election

by Eto Buziashvili, Sopo Gelava

Facebook ads increased sharply over the course of September 2024 just ahead of the pivotal vote scheduled for October 26
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October 2024

Statement on the home raids of two Atlantic Council staff in Georgia

Washington DC – The Atlantic Council
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The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research leads the study of information to promote transparency and accountability online and around the world.