Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets U.S. Midterm Elections with Deepfake Videos
A Russian disinformation campaign, identified as Matryoshka or Operation Overload, is actively targeting the upcoming U.S. midterm elections by disseminating deepfake videos on social media. These videos feature voice-cloned versions of Hollywood actors, including Alyson Hannigan, Emma Caulfield, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ed Begley Jr., and Eric Roberts, making fabricated statements critical of the Democratic Party. The clips often layer altered audio over stolen footage, such as a 2023 Gucci campaign featuring Julia Roberts or personalized videos from Cameo. The campaign also misuses CNN's logo to lend credibility to the fabricated content. Actors involved have expressed feeling 'violated' and have disavowed the statements attributed to them, confirming they do not represent their beliefs. Disinformation researchers from Clemson University and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue have linked these deepfakes to known Russian influence tactics, noting similarities to past campaigns targeting elections in Europe...
