election interference
Latest
YouTube will remove videos that encourage election meddling
It'll also yank ones containing hacked information that could interfere with elections.
HBO’s 'Kill Chain' doc highlights the flaws in US election machines
While COVID-19 might be putting just about everything else on hold, we're still marching towards a presidential election later this year. After the high-profile interference of 2016, election security and foreign meddling are still critical issues, but many states still aren't doing enough to ensure the integrity of the process. A documentary premiering tonight on HBO proves a sobering reminder of the fragility of America's voting infrastructure.
Senate: Obama Admin. wasn't prepared to handle Russian interference
Today, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released a report (PDF) detailing the Obama administration's response to Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. The report says the Obama administration was not well-prepared to handle the unprecedented election interference and that the administration suffered from "paralysis of analysis."
Key U.S. election systems could have been exposed online for months
More than 30 backend election systems over the last year -- including some in key swing states like Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin -- have been left online and were susceptible to hackers. A Motherboard investigation published today revealed that systems made by ES&S, one of the largest makers of voting machines in the country, were connected to the internet for long periods of time, in some instances as long as a year. This information contradicts prior claims by election officials that voting machine systems were no longer connected after Election Day.
The EU's election interference alert system isn't working properly
The European Union was quick to report online interference in its recent elections, but the system designed to catch that interference apparently needs some improvement. The New York Times has learned through records and interviews that the EU's Rapid Alert System hasn't been very effective in aggregating meddling data or transmitting alerts. Most member states haven't contributed to its database, and what data is there tends to be a "mishmash" that may go unanalyzed. Disagreements over the seriousness of interference attempts have also led officials to avoid issuing alerts.
EU says Russia conducted 'sustained' election interference campaign
The European Union already suspected that Russia was trying to disrupt its parliamentary elections through hacks and other online interference, and now it's directly pointing a finger at the country. EU officials have published a report accusing Russia of orchestrating a "continued and sustained" misinformation campaign during the late May election similar to ones the country tried in the US, France and other countries. It used fake stories to "promote extreme views," stoke political tensions and, sometimes, discourage voter turnout.
Twitter removes nearly 4,800 accounts linked to Iranian government
Twitter has suspended nearly 4,800 accounts it suspected of being directly run or linked to the Iranian government. The social media giant released a transparency report that detailed recent efforts to tamp down on the spread of misinformation by insidious actors on its platform. In addition to the Iranian accounts, Twitter suspended four accounts it suspected of being linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency (IRA), 130 fake accounts associated with the Catalan independence movement in Spain and 33 accounts operated by a commercial entity in Venezuela.
Florida governor says Russians accessed voter databases in 2016
Hackers from Russia gained access to voter databases in two Florida counties before the 2016 presidential election, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. While the hackers didn't compromise election results or manipulate any data, the fact that they gained access at all is significant.
Cyber Command put the kibosh on Russian trolls during the midterms
The US military has reportedly retaliated against Russian attempts to interfere in elections. Cyber Command took the notorious Internet Research Agency offline on 2018 midterm election day in November, officials told the Washington Post.
