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
EU Reporter and EU Today’s coverage appeared aimed at discrediting Moldova’s recent presidential election and EU integration referendum
December 2024
Cross-platform campaign in Georgia emphasizes China as an alternative to the United States
Pro-Russian and pro-government actors claim China respects Georgia’s sovereignty and can guarantee the country’s territorial integrity
December 2024
Suspicious Georgia protest-related Facebook ads lure users into financial scam
Many ads impersonated local media outlets to direct users to financial scam websites
November 2024
Brazil’s electoral deepfake law tested as AI-generated content targeted local elections
For the first time, Brazil held elections under new regulations prohibiting deepfakes, yet dozens of instances proliferated prior to voting
November 2024
Russian milbloggers employed nuclear scare tactics following Ukrainian incursion of Kursk
Telegram channels claimed that Ukraine intended to attack Russian nuclear power plants, then exploited a site visit by IAEA Director Rafael Grossi
November 2024
Seizing the Win: Navigating Competition and Hands-on Learning through Cyber 9/12
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.
November 2024
Pro-Hezbollah accounts orchestrated digital smear campaign against Lebanese journalists
The X campaign sought to discredit five Lebanese media workers with edited media, gender-based violence, and threats
November 2024
The Role of Data in Improving Cyber Insurance Pricing
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.
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”
November 2024
What to expect from foreign threat actors following the 2024 US election
US intelligence community on high alert for the intensification of influence operations in the days and weeks following the 2024 US election
November 2024
Trends in China’s US election interference illustrate its longer game
Chinese malign information operations focusing on down-ballot Senate and House races rather than favoring a particular presidential candidate
November 2024
Sockpuppet network impersonating Americans and Canadians amplifies pro-Israel narratives on X
A network of accounts on X using stolen and possibly AI-generated images coordinated to engage with accounts supportive of Israel
November 2024
Take the Bribe but Watch Your Back: Why Russia Imprisoned a Security Officer for Taking Cybercriminal Payoffs
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.
November 2024
How mainstream Georgian media shaped perceptions of the foreign agent law protests
Georgian media promoted opposing views, with TV channels critical of the law outperforming pro-government channels
October 2024
Russia-linked media outlets amplify conspiracies about US election rule changes
Kremlin-linked outlets fueling unfounded claims about voter fraud in US swing states
October 2024
A Conversation with Věra Jourová: Lessons from EU Election Interference
Assessing lessons learned from information interference operations during the European Parliament elections.
October 2024
Georgia’s ruling party using Facebook ads to claim Western interference in the country’s election
Facebook ads increased sharply over the course of September 2024 just ahead of the pivotal vote scheduled for October 26
October 2024
Statement on the home raids of two Atlantic Council staff in Georgia
Washington DC – The Atlantic Council
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Upcoming & Recent Events
Using data for accountability: Lessons learned from the Oversight Board’s impact
In this discussion, Oversight Board Head of Data & Implementation and DFRLab Non-Resident Fellow Naomi Shiffman presents lessons learned from the Board’s work.
Undermining Ukraine: How Russia widened global information operations in 2023
The launch of the DFRLab’s latest report investigating pro-Kremlin propaganda and disinformation tools and narratives worldwide.
How Ukraine fights Russian disinformation: Beehive vs mammoth
A discussion led by report co-authors Jakub Kalenský and Roman Osadchuk about Ukraine’s groundbreaking strategies against Russian disinformation.
Elections Everywhere All at Once
An expert conversation on the implications of the 83 elections occurring in 78 countries in 2024.
Deconstructing the Israel-Hamas disinformation war
A two-panel discussion on how disinformation, propaganda, and social media policies have shaped perception of the crisis.
Protecting point-to-point messaging apps: Understanding Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp
The DFRLab hosts the launch of its newest report on the dynamics of point-to-point messaging apps with an expert conversation on how policymakers and platforms can mitigate behavior infringing terms of usage on these apps.
Democracy + Tech Initiative
The Democracy + Tech Initiative creates policy practices that align global stakeholders toward tech and governance that reinforces, rather than undermines, open societies.
Cyber Statecraft Initiative
The Cyber Statecraft Initiative works at the nexus of geopolitics and cybersecurity to craft strategies to better inform and secure users of technology.
Digital Sherlocks Training Program
Combatting disinformation can’t be done alone; ultimately it requires a growing movement of individuals taking the lead around the world and in their own communities. It’s these #DigitalSherlocks who are at the heart of our movement.
About DFRLab
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research leads the study of information to promote transparency and accountability online and around the world.
