U.S. imposes sanctions on Russian and Iranian groups for disinformation targeting American voters
The United States has imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to target American voters with disinformation ahead of this year’s election.
Treasury officials announced the sanctions on Tuesday, alleging that the two organizations sought to stoke divisions among Americans before November’s vote.
U.S. intelligence has accused both governments of spreading disinformation, including fake videos, news stories and social media posts, designed to manipulate voters and undermine trust in the elections.
The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns, Bradley T. Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.
Authorities say the center used AI to quickly manufacture fake videos about American candidates created scores of fake news websites designed to look legitimate and even paid US web companies to create pro-Russian content.
The new sanctions apply to its director, who authorities say worked closely with Russian military intelligence agents also overseeing cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.
