Microsoft says Iran is using fake news sites to influence 2024 election

Groups connected to the Iranian government are ramping up their efforts to interfere with voters’ decision-making in the 2024 presidential election by targeting far-left and far-right individuals with fake news websites, a new report from Microsoft Threat Analysis Center claims.

Among those fake news websites is a left-leaning one called Nio Thinker, launched in October 2023, that appealed to potential liberal voters by concentrating on the Israel-Hamas war and mocking former president Donald Trump.

A right-leaning one called Savannah Time has published content associated with conservative hot-button issues like gender-reassignment surgery and other LGBT+ issues, the report says.

The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center claims the group behind the websites has used artificial intelligence to “plagiarize at least some content” from U.S. publications. They say it is part of a broader campaign to drive an ideological rift in the country.

As November draws closer, groups like the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center are monitoring influence operations from specific groups around the world and are keeping a closer eye on the tactics they implore to attempt to influence the outcome of the election.

“Iranian cyber-enabled influence operations have been a consistent feature of at least the last three US election cycles,” the report, published on Friday, says.

The Microsoft Threat Analysis Team says in addition to the fake news websites, another Iranian group is “setting itself up for activities that are even more extreme” through intimidation or inciting violence against political groups or people.

This is part of a larger effort to create chaos and undermine authorities, ultimately exploiting voters to doubt the integrity of the