Multiple reports say China at the center of election meddling

WASHINGTON (TNND) — New reports point to China as one of the main bad actors trying to meddle in the upcoming election, and it isn't expected to slow down as Election Day nears.

Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center is out with a writeup tracking election meddling from China, Russia and Iran.The report tracked Russian-based troll farms that have focused on Kamala Harris’ campaign by trying to smear her with deepfakes.

Meanwhile, the report says China has been targeting Republicans in down-ballot Congressional races. That includes campaigns against Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., and Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala. All four have advocated for anti-China policies, making them “attractive targets of Chinese influence operations” according to the report.

There are efforts underway to educate voters that the threat of disinformation is out there. RepresentUs, a nonpartisan group dedicated to identifying threats to democracy, released a creative ad using deepfakes of celebrities to show how easy it is to create them and warn people bad actors are trying to do the same.

We should be really concerned about both foreign and homegrown adversaries, we know the same people who interfered in the 2016 and 2020 elections from across the pond, they’re still at it," said the group's CEO Joshua Graham Lynn.

The New York Times also reports that China has taken things beyond disinformation, apparently targeting the cell phones of former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D Vance. It's not clear right now what data, if any, might have been intercepted.