The FBI released a statement on Saturday addressing misleading videos spreading in anticipation of the election, indicating its awareness of two videos “falsely claiming to be from the FBI concerning election security.” One video falsely claims the FBI had “apprehended three linked groups committing ballot fraud,” while another makes a claim about Kamala Harris’ husband. The FBI stated both videos contain false information.
Disinformation, including the dissemination of politically motivated deepfakes and other misleading videos and images, has been a significant issue leading up to the US presidential election. In a statement shared on X, the FBI added:
Ensuring election integrity is one of our foremost priorities, and the FBI is collaborating closely with state and local law enforcement partners to address election threats and safeguard our communities as Americans fulfill their right to vote. Efforts to deceive the public with false content about FBI operations undermine our democratic process and aim to erode trust in the electoral system.
The day before, the along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported tracing two other videos back to “Russian influence actors,” including one “that falsely depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia.”