Pro-Russian propaganda group Storm-1679 is exploiting high-profile news events to spread disinformation.
What Happened: According to a report, Storm-1679 has been under the watchful eyes of Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center since 2022. The group has been found to impersonate reputable organizations, including news outlets, nonprofits, and government agencies, to spread their propaganda.
The group has been particularly active this year, creating fake content related to the German SNAP elections and the upcoming Moldovan parliamentary vote, reports Politico.
They have also tried to spread false narratives about the war in Ukraine, coinciding with a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
McKenzie Sadeghi, AI and foreign influence editor at NewsGuard, revealed that the group has been publishing pro-Kremlin videos since early 2024.
“If even just one or a few of their fake videos go viral per year, that makes all of the other videos worth it,” Sadeghi told the outlet.
Storm-1679 has developed a unique technique of combining videos with AI-generated audio impersonations of celebrity and expert voices.
This tactic was notably used in a fake documentary series featuring Netflix's logo and an AI-generated deepfake voice of actor Tom Cruise, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Although most of these videos are quickly debunked, some have managed to gain significant traction.
A fabricated E! News video that falsely claimed the U.S. Agency for International Development paid for celebrities to visit Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 is one such example.
This video was shared by Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk to their millions of followers before being exposed as a sham.
Why It Matters: The activities of Storm-1679 highlight the growing threat of disinformation campaigns, particularly those backed by state actors. The use of AI-generated content to impersonate reputable sources and individuals is a concerning trend.
This not only undermines the credibility of genuine news sources but also has the potential to influence public opinion and political events.
The wide reach of some of these fake videos underscores the importance of vigilant fact-checking and media literacy.
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Image: Shutterstock/Anton Watman
