2024-09-05 05:12:30
The United States has accused Russia of a campaign to influence this year’s election using online platforms and spread disinformation among American voters, the AP reported. Citing six sources familiar with the matter, CNN previously reported that RT (formerly known as Russia Today) will be the main subject of the announcement.
The US subsequently imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on the channel’s leaders, and opened criminal proceedings against two of them. At the same time, Washington seized 32 domains linked to Russia.
At the same time, the United States has taken a number of other steps aimed at thwarting the Kremlin’s alleged efforts, which the White House has publicly condemned. In addition, the Ministry of Justice announced measures by law enforcement agencies aimed at the covert Russian campaign.
But the main subject of the American announcement was the Russian state media network RT. US officials see the Russian station as a key part of the Kremlin’s propaganda efforts.
Taken together, the moves are the most significant public response yet by the administration of President Joe Biden to alleged Russian influence operations targeting American voters, according to CNN. After the U.S. last month accused Iran of attempting to hack the campaigns of both Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, today’s moves are a reminder that U.S. officials continue to view Russia as a significant foreign influence threat to November’s presidential election, sources said.
RT operates television and online platforms around the world that push the Kremlin’s agenda. The U.S. Department of Justice forced RT America to register as a foreign agent in 2017 after U.S. intelligence officials concluded that the outlet contributed to Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.
The announcement is the second major effort by the Biden administration to blunt RT’s influence in as many months. In July, the Justice Department charged RT employees with participating in a scheme in which they used a network of about 1,000 social media accounts to impersonate US residents and spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine and other topics. US officials accuse the Kremlin of funding the scheme; a Kremlin spokesman denied the allegation.
Russian meddling in the election has long been the subject of debate in the United States and has become the target of investigations, especially after the election eight years ago, when Trump won the race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Republican candidate tried to defend the mandate in 2020, but lost to Biden. This year, he will face Biden’s vice president, Harris.
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