Declassified U.S. intelligence has revealed that operatives from Russia, China, and Cuba are actively circulating disinformation about recent hurricanes impacting the United States, according to a U.S. official. These foreign influence actors have reportedly amplified misleading content, aiming to undermine confidence in the American government’s disaster response efforts. Each country’s operatives have taken to social media platforms, spreading manipulated images and fabrications to fuel discontent within U.S. borders.
In one notable instance, Russian influence actors circulated a fabricated image on Telegram on October 10, purportedly showing a flooded Disney World in Florida. This image, likely created using artificial intelligence, misrepresented the extent of the hurricane’s impact, while a related post claimed that the U.S. federal government was refusing disaster relief funds to Americans, reports claim.
China’s Narrative On U.S. Priorities And Foreign Aid
China’s state-linked influencers have also contributed to the misleading narrative, sharing content that blames U.S. financial aid to foreign allies for reducing resources available for domestic disaster relief. The misinformation campaign targeted Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with posts suggesting that U.S. commitments abroad, specifically in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, are detracting from efforts to support disaster victims. An image circulated on October 1, apparently AI-generated, depicted Vice President Kamala Harris surveying hurricane flood damage beside a sign implying that U.S. disaster funds had been redirected abroad.
Cuba’s disinformation campaign aligns closely with the messages circulated by Russian and Chinese operatives. Cuban-backed messaging has falsely suggested that U.S. support for Israel and Ukraine has diverted resources that could have been used for hurricane relief. In one particular case, Cuban content combined hurricane evacuation information with the unsubstantiated claim that Americans were abandoned to “fend for themselves” as federal funds were diverted to foreign aid.
This revelation follows a report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based organization that monitors disinformation. According to the institute, Russian state media and affiliated social media accounts are exploiting the hurricanes to undermine trust in U.S. disaster management efforts and to erode public support for aid to Ukraine. The disinformation is rapidly reaching large audiences, thanks to mainstream social media platforms, posing a challenge for U.S. officials trying to counter these narratives.
Challenges In Countering Disinformation
Federal, state, and local authorities are working to combat an ongoing surge of misinformation related to hurricane relief, including conspiracy theories about weather manipulation and false claims regarding the government’s response to disasters. With foreign entities persistently working to distort public perception, counteracting these narratives remains a significant challenge for U.S. officials dedicated to maintaining trust in domestic relief efforts.
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