Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets US Midterm Elections with Deepfake Videos

A Russian disinformation operation has focused on the US midterm elections, releasing a series of deepfake videos featuring celebrities criticizing the Democratic Party, according to researchers. The videos began circulating on social media late last week, using hashtags such as '#AllDemocratsAreCriminals,' and included manipulated statements from Hollywood actors. For example, a voice-cloned version of Alyson Hannigan is shown saying, 'Today in America, there isn't a single child who isn't under threat from Democrats.' Another video features Emma Caulfield claiming Democrats 'drink our blood,' while a third shows Sarah Jessica Parker referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Democrats as 'Nazis.' The clips were created using stolen footage from the internet, including altered content from Cameo, a platform where celebrities sell personalized videos. Caulfield expressed her discomfort, stating, 'I feel violated. This isn't me and worse, this cheap imitation is a soulless idiot.' Ed Begley Jr. also commented, saying he was unaware of the manipulation and disagreed with the video's content. Eric Roberts voiced his concerns, stating, 'I am deeply troubled that my likeness was manipulated and used to deceive the public.' A CNN spokesperson condemned the unauthorized use of the network's branding, asserting that the videos are not affiliated with CNN. Disinformation researchers believe the deepfake videos are linked to Matryoshka, or Operation Overload, a Kremlin campaign known for spreading doctored videos on social media. Darren Linvill, a Clemson University expert on Russian influence campaigns, described this as the 'first salvo' in Russia's targeting of the upcoming elections. He noted that Russia has engaged in social media campaigns during every US election since 2016. The online collective Antibot4navalny attributed the deepfakes to Matryoshka based on their distribution patterns. Pablo Maristany de las Casas, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, remarked that the tactics used in these videos are consistent with previous Russian efforts in elections across Europe. French prosecutors are also investigating suspected Russian deepfakes targeting candidates in their upcoming presidential elections. While the impact of such campaigns is often minimal, experts warn that these videos indicate which US races and issues Russia aims to influence in the elections that could alter the balance of power in Congress. The operation appears to be intensifying, with Antibot4navalny identifying additional fabricated CNN video reports targeting Democratic candidates.