Microsoft President Warns of Heightened Foreign Interference Risk in Final 48 Hours of US Presidential Election
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On Thu, 19 Sept, 8:04 AM UTC
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[1]
US elections 2024: Microsoft chief Brad Smith warns of foreign interference in last 48 hours of presidential campaign | Today News
Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith warned the danger of foreign interference in the US election will surge in the final two days of the presidential campaign. "The most perilous moment will come, I think, 48 hours before the election," Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. Smith said that was the "lesson to be learned" from the Slovakian election last fall, in which fake audio of one of the top candidates circulated online days before the election. Foreign actors already have been spreading manipulated videos and false posts to sow discord around the US presidential election, Smith and other executives with the country's largest tech companies testified. Smith said Microsoft earlier Wednesday had identified an "AI-enhanced" video from a Russian group showing Vice President Kamala Harris saying words she didn't say at a recent rally. Groups from adversarial nations including Russia, China and Iran have spread false information and news reports about both Harris and Donald Trump's campaigns, the executives said. The hearing featured testimony from Smith, Google parent Alphabet Inc.'s president and chief legal officer Kent Walker, and Nick Clegg, Meta Platforms Inc.'s president of global affairs. Those attacks are being shaped in part by new developments in artificial intelligence, Walker said. "We are seeing some foreign state actors experimenting with generative AI to improve existing cyber attacks, like probing for vulnerabilities or creating spear phishing emails," Walker said. "We see generative AI being used to more efficiently create fake websites, misleading news articles and robot social media posts." The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, focused on foreign interference in US elections, comes on the heels of a Microsoft report that found Russian efforts to influence the US election have shifted to smearing Harris with doctored and misleading videos. Meta on Tuesday also announced it was banning Russian state media outlet Russia Today due to "foreign interference." The Biden administration and the top tech companies stopped communicating about online threats to US elections over the past year as they waited for a ruling in Murthy v. Missouri, a case centered on whether it is constitutional for government officials to ask social media companies to take down certain posts. The US Supreme Court in June cleared the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies, an election-year ruling that bolstered the government's ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation. The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies. Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, several times expressed frustration that Elon Musk's X Corp. declined to send a representative to testify at the hearing.
[2]
Microsoft president warns of increased US election meddling risk in final 48 hours
Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith warned the danger of foreign interference in the US election will surge in the final two days of the presidential campaign. "The most perilous moment will come, I think, 48 hours before the election," Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. Also Read: Supreme Court rejects telcos' plea to recalculate dues owed to government: Report Smith said that was the "lesson to be learned" from the Slovakian election last fall, in which fake audio of one of the top candidates circulated online days before the election. Foreign actors already have been spreading manipulated videos and false posts to sow discord around the US presidential election, Smith and other executives with the country's largest tech companies testified. Smith said Microsoft earlier Wednesday had identified an "AI-enhanced" video from a Russian group showing Vice President Kamala Harris saying words she didn't say at a recent rally. Groups from adversarial nations including Russia, China and Iran have spread false information and news reports about both Harris and Donald Trump's campaigns, the executives said. The hearing featured testimony from Smith, Google parent Alphabet Inc.'s president and chief legal officer Kent Walker, and Nick Clegg, Meta Platforms Inc.'s president of global affairs. Those attacks are being shaped in part by new developments in artificial intelligence, Walker said. Also Read: EY India boss on employee Anna Sebastian Perayil's death: 'Don't believe work pressure claimed her life' "We are seeing some foreign state actors experimenting with generative AI to improve existing cyber attacks, like probing for vulnerabilities or creating spear phishing emails," Walker said. "We see generative AI being used to more efficiently create fake websites, misleading news articles and robot social media posts." The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, focused on foreign interference in US elections, comes on the heels of a Microsoft report that found Russian efforts to influence the US election have shifted to smearing Harris with doctored and misleading videos. Meta on Tuesday also announced it was banning Russian state media outlet Russia Today due to "foreign interference." The Biden administration and the top tech companies stopped communicating about online threats to US elections over the past year as they waited for a ruling in Murthy v. Missouri, a case centered on whether it is constitutional for government officials to ask social media companies to take down certain posts. The US Supreme Court in June cleared the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies, an election-year ruling that bolstered the government's ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation. The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies. Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, several times expressed frustration that Elon Musk's X Corp. declined to send a representative to testify at the hearing.
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Microsoft executive warns of US election meddling in final 48 hours
By Emily Birnbaum and Oma Seddiq, Bloomberg News The Tribune Content Agency WASHINGTON - Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith warned the danger of foreign interference in the U.S. election will surge in the final two days of the presidential campaign. "The most perilous moment will come, I think, 48 hours before the election," Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. Smith said that was the "lesson to be learned" from the Slovakian election last fall, in which fake audio of one of the top candidates circulated online days before the election. Foreign actors already have been spreading manipulated videos and false posts to sow discord around the U.S. presidential election, Smith and other executives with the country's largest tech companies testified. Smith said Microsoft earlier Wednesday had identified an "AI-enhanced" video from a Russian group showing Vice President Kamala Harris saying words she didn't say at a recent rally. Groups from adversarial nations including Russia, China and Iran have spread false information and news reports about both Harris' and Donald Trump's campaigns, the executives said. The hearing featured testimony from Smith, Google parent Alphabet Inc.'s president and chief legal officer Kent Walker, and Nick Clegg, Meta Platforms Inc.'s president of global affairs. Those attacks are being shaped in part by new developments in artificial intelligence, Walker said. "We are seeing some foreign state actors experimenting with generative AI to improve existing cyberattacks, like probing for vulnerabilities or creating spearphishing emails," Walker said. "We see generative AI being used to more efficiently create fake websites, misleading news articles and robot social media posts." The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, focused on foreign interference in U.S. elections, comes on the heels of a Microsoft report that found Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election have shifted to smearing Harris with doctored and misleading videos. Meta on Tuesday also announced it was banning Russian state media outlet Russia Today due to "foreign interference." The Biden administration and the top tech companies stopped communicating about online threats to U.S. elections over the past year as they waited for a ruling in Murthy v. Missouri, a case centered on whether it is constitutional for government officials to ask social media companies to take down certain posts. The U.S. Supreme Court in June cleared the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies, an election-year ruling that bolstered the government's ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation. The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies. Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, several times expressed frustration that Elon Musk's X Corp. declined to send a representative to testify at the hearing.
[4]
Microsoft executive warns of election meddling in final 48 hours
Microsoft President Brad Smith warned the danger of foreign interference in the U.S. election will surge in the final two days of the presidential campaign. "The most perilous moment will come, I think, 48 hours before the election," Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. Smith said that was the "lesson to be learned" from the Slovakian election last fall, in which fake audio of one of the top candidates circulated online days before the election. Foreign actors already have been spreading manipulated videos and false posts to sow discord around the U.S. presidential election, Smith and other executives with the country's largest tech companies testified. Smith said Microsoft earlier Wednesday had identified an "AI-enhanced" video from a Russian group showing Vice President Kamala Harris saying words she didn't say at a recent rally. Groups from adversarial nations including Russia, China and Iran have spread false information and news reports about both Harris and Donald Trump's campaigns, the executives said. The hearing featured testimony from Smith, Google parent Alphabet Inc.'s president and chief legal officer Kent Walker, and Nick Clegg, Meta Platforms Inc.'s president of global affairs. Those attacks are being shaped in part by new developments in artificial intelligence, Walker said. "We are seeing some foreign state actors experimenting with generative AI to improve existing cyber attacks, like probing for vulnerabilities or creating spear phishing emails," Walker said. "We see generative AI being used to more efficiently create fake websites, misleading news articles and robot social media posts." The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, focused on foreign interference in U.S. elections, comes on the heels of a Microsoft report that found Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election have shifted to smearing Harris with doctored and misleading videos. Meta on Tuesday also announced it was banning Russian state media outlet Russia Today due to "foreign interference." The Biden administration and the top tech companies stopped communicating about online threats to U.S. elections over the past year as they waited for a ruling in Murthy v. Missouri, a case centered on whether it is constitutional for government officials to ask social media companies to take down certain posts. The U.S. Supreme Court in June cleared the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies, an election-year ruling that bolstered the government's ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation. The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies. Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, several times expressed frustration that Elon Musk's X declined to send a representative to testify at the hearing.
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Microsoft president says election has become 'Iran vs. Trump,' and 'Russia vs. Harris'
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith acknowledged Wednesday there are "real and serious" threats of foreign actors attempting to wield influence on the 2024 election as November quickly approaches. "We know that there is a presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, but this has also become an election of Iran versus Trump and Russia versus Harris," Smith said during his opening testimony for Wednesday's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign election interference. "And it is an election where Russia, Iran, and China are united with a common interest in discrediting democracy in the eyes of our own voters and, even more so, in the eyes of the world," he warned. The hearing comes amid growing concerns over attempts by actors like Russia, China and Iran to interfere with the election through disinformation and misinformation campaigns online. Smith testified alongside Nick Clegg, the president of global affairs at Meta and Kent Walker, the president and chief legal officer for Google's Alphabet. Smith's comment referred to the series of alleged efforts by Russia and Iran to disrupt the presidential elections of Trump and Harris. He pointed to Microsoft's report this week that found Russian influence operations were behind a viral video falsely accusing Harris of a hit-and-run. "The threats to our democracy from abroad are sophisticated and persistent. We must stand together as a tech community, as leaders, and as a nation to protect the integrity of our elections," Smith said. He outlined two principles he believes the tech companies must adhere to, "The first is to preserve the fundamental right to free expression that is enshrined in our Constitution. The second is to defend the American electorate from foreign nation states who are seeking to deceive the American public." To do this, Smith argued tech companies are obligated to place guardrails, especially around acritical intelligence (AI) generated content, and called for "protection" and to inform candidates of the risks of this technology. "And we do that in part by providing them with technology. We've now worked across 23 countries this year. We've had more than 150 training sessions reaching more than 4700 people. And we do it by responding immediately, in real time when incidents arise, as we do, to work with campaigns to help protect them," he said. Microsoft's report on the viral hit-and-run video targeted at Harris follows a series of inference incidents being investigated by the federal government. Earlier this month, the Justice Department seized more than 30 web domains used by Russia for covert campaigns and charged two employees of RT, formerly known as Russia Today, alleging they led a covert influence campaign by partnering with conservative company Tenet Media to hire various right-wing influencers. The FBI separately announced last month Iran was behind a hacking of the Trump campaign, and the bureau stated it observed "increasingly aggressive Iranian activity" this election cycle. Clegg offered a similar perspective, maintaining Meta is "committed to free expression" while recognizing foreign adversaries are working to "undermine the Democratic process." "While we are conscious that every election brings its own challenges and complexities, we are confident that our comprehensive approach puts us in a strong position to do our part to help protect the integrity of not only this year's elections in the United States, but elections around the globe at all times," Clegg said in his testimony. His testimony came just days after Meta banned Russian state media including RT, from its social media platforms, citing foreign interference activity.
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'This Has Also Become An Election Of Iran Vs Trump And Russia Vs Harris' -- Microsoft President Brad Smith Warns About Foreign Interference In 2024 Election - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Microsoft Corporation's MSFT vice chair and president, Brad Smith, has raised concerns about potential foreign interference in the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election. What Happened: On Wednesday, during his opening testimony at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign election interference, Smith warned of "real and serious" threats, reported The Hill. He pointed out that the election has become a battleground for foreign actors, specifically Iran and Russia, against presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris respectively. "We know that there is a presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, but this has also become an election of Iran vs Trump and Russia vs Harris," he stated. See Also: Mark Cuban Says He Would Buy Rupert Murdoch's Fox News And Elon Musk's X But There Are Some Obstacles: 'If I Had Enough... I'd Buy It In A Heartbeat' Smith also shed light on the combined efforts of Russia, Iran, and China in undermining democracy. He cited a recent Microsoft report that revealed Russian influence operations behind a false viral video accusing Harris of a hit-and-run. He stressed the importance of tech companies upholding two principles: preserving the right to free expression and protecting the American electorate from foreign deception. Smith called on tech companies to put in place safeguards, especially around AI-generated content, and to educate candidates about AI risks. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: Smith's testimony comes at a time when concerns over foreign interference in the election through online disinformation and misinformation campaigns are escalating. He testified alongside Nick Clegg, the president of global affairs at Meta Platforms, and Kent Walker, the president and chief legal officer for Google's Alphabet, the report noted. On Tuesday, in a blog post, Microsoft revealed that its Threat Analysis Center noticed a shift in tactics by Russian hackers who targeted the campaign of Democratic nominee Harris. Earlier this month, the Justice Department seized over 30 web domains used by Russia for covert campaigns. The FBI also revealed that Iran was behind a hacking of the Trump campaign. On Wednesday, the FBI said, "Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden's campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former President Trump's campaign as text in the emails." Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Thinks Social Media Platforms Like TikTok And Facebook Are 'A Total Stupid Waste Of Time' Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
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Microsoft's Brad Smith cautions about increased threats of foreign meddling in the crucial last two days of the 2024 US presidential campaign. He emphasizes the need for vigilance and preparedness against potential cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Microsoft Chief Sounds Alarm on Election Interference
Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, has issued a stark warning about the potential for foreign interference in the final 48 hours of the 2024 US presidential election campaign. Speaking at a conference in Washington, Smith emphasized the critical nature of this period, stating that it presents a "moment of maximum opportunity" for malicious actors to influence the election outcome 1.
Heightened Risk and Potential Threats
Smith highlighted that the last two days before the election are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. He noted that during this time, there's an increased risk of attempts to manipulate vote counts, spread false information, or create chaos in the electoral process 2.
Historical Context and Current Concerns
The Microsoft executive drew parallels to past incidents, particularly referencing the 2016 election interference by Russia. Smith pointed out that while Russia remains a significant threat, other nations like Iran and China have also been implicated in attempts to meddle in US elections 3.
Specific Threats and Tactics
Smith outlined several potential tactics that foreign actors might employ:
- Cyberattacks on election infrastructure
- Spread of disinformation through social media
- Attempts to manipulate public opinion through fake news
- Possible targeting of specific candidates or political parties 4
Call for Vigilance and Preparedness
In light of these threats, Smith urged for increased vigilance from tech companies, government agencies, and the public. He stressed the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and rapid response capabilities to counter any potential attacks or misinformation campaigns 5.
Tech Industry's Role
Microsoft, along with other major tech companies, has been actively working to enhance election security. Smith emphasized the need for continued collaboration between the private sector and government agencies to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process 1.
Government Response and Preparedness
US intelligence agencies and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have acknowledged the heightened risk and are reportedly ramping up their efforts to protect the election process. They are working closely with state and local election officials to enhance security measures and improve response capabilities 3.
As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, Smith's warning serves as a crucial reminder of the ongoing challenges in safeguarding democratic processes in the digital age. The coming days will test the preparedness and resilience of America's electoral system against sophisticated foreign interference attempts.
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