Digital threats surge ahead of US polls

Social media platforms preparing to counter misinformation campaign

WASHINGTON: It could be a manipulated video embarrassing a candidate. Or a computer voting system locked by ransomware. Or doubts about electronic voting machines with no paper backups.

As Americans prepare for the 2020 elections, digital threats to election security are multiplying, stoking fears of a tainted outcome.

Worries are running high following revelations of a wide-ranging misinformation campaign on Facebook and other social platforms, largely directed by Russian operatives, in 2016.

This was described in detail by special counsel Robert Mueller, whose office obtained several indictments for election interference.

Cyber interference and disinformation operations surrounding elections “are part of a much larger, ongoing challenge to democracies everywhere”, said a report from Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Center.

Maurice Turner, an election security specialist with the Washingtonbased Center for Democracy & Technology, said these threats could lead to “a negative impact on voter confidence” in 2020.

The newest threat may be “deepfake” video and audio manipulated with artificial intelligence which can put words in the mouths of candidates.

“It is easy to manipulate still images or video footage to put someone in a compromising situation,” said Darrell West with the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, in an online report.

Danielle Citron, a Boston University online safety expert, told a recent TedSummit talk that deepfakes “can exploit and magnify the deep distrust that we already have in politicians, business leaders and other influential leaders”.

Experts say it will be increasingly difficult to counter automated accounts or “bots” that can amplify false news.

The failure to take a hard stand against manipulation in 2016 has likely “emboldened Russia to try again in 2020”, wrote Stanford professor and ex-Facebook security chief Alex Stamos. Other efforts might come from China, Iran or North Korea, he said.

Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter security teams met this month with FBI, homeland security and intelligence officials to discuss collaboration on election threats.

Facebook’s visual platform Instagram could become the most important “disinformation magnet” in 2020, a report by New York University’s Center for Business and Human Rights suggests.

The report also said Russian organisations may try to recruit “unwitting” Americans to help spread propaganda. — AFP