Russia is using fake news and a false AI-generated documentary to undermine the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, France. The Russian government has been on the neck of any nation seen to support Ukraine in any way, and the Olympic Games is a touch point to stoke fear about security at the event.
Could the country be retaliating after its athletes were barred from participating in the games using their flag but as neutral competitors?
Microsoft released news that propagandists in Russia had created a 60-minute documentary. The video imitated American and French intelligence agencies issuing false security warnings telling people to avoid the events. The documentary gives the impression that the games might be ruined by terrorist attacks.
The Microsoft report stated that the Russian disinformation started towards the end of 2023. It was presented in digitally generated images that showed graffiti in Paris, which was a threat against Israeli athletes attending the games. These instances referenced the 1972 killings where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian militants in Munich.
It is described as the most alarming disinformation shared by Russians impersonating militant groups, falsifying threats to the event while the Israel-Hamas war intensifies. The campaigns are spread by two Russian-supported groups named Storm-1679 and Storm-1099, also known as “Doppelganger.”
Storm-1099 has used forged French News Websites to amplify Russian claims of potential violence during the games and International Olympic Committee, I.O.C., corruption allegations.
Similarly, in June last year, the same group, Storm-1099, created a feature film they called “Olympic has Fallen” to belittle the I.O.C. leadership.
Microsoft claimed that the movie used phony AI-generated sounds of American star Tom Cruise to narrate it and a Netflix logo and tricked other American celebrities into endorsing it with the help of the customized video message website Cameo.
Olympics has Fallen Video poster
However, the video was removed from YouTube, which has caused the groups to shift to other sites like Telegram.
The initiative made it evident that the content producers put in a lot of work on the project and were more skilled than other influencer campaigns so far. It is also alleged that the tactics used to spread fake news could also be used during U.S. and European elections.
Officials from France and the U.S. have monitored the campaign. According to an American official, Russian disinformation propagated by the Kremlin through social media still poses a threat to the security of the U.S. and its closest allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also voiced his concerns over the documentaries. Speaking when opening the new Olympic swimming center, the president undoubtedly believes Russia is working tirelessly to release such propaganda. “Every day, Russia is putting out stories that we are not able to do this or that, implying that the games will be at risk.”
Portal Kombat, a network of websites formed in Russia, is suspected of disseminating fake news. For instance, the assertion that French soldiers are currently operating in Ukraine and that President Macron aborted his trip to Kyiv due to concerns of an attempted assassination.
Why France is Targeted
It seems that the Storm-1679 group is now producing easier-to-make, shorter videos. The videos were centered on demeaning Ukrainian refugees living in the West, but they moved to the Olympics when French President Emmanuel Macron started to explore deploying his military to Ukraine openly.
President Macron with other government officials and swimmers during the opening of Olympic Aquatic Center.
For the first time, the president stated that if the terrorist threat increases, there will be backup plans for the July Olympic inaugural ceremony. “We will be ready,” the president said.
The 26 July ceremony is currently scheduled to occur aboard boats in the Seine River. Over 300,000 spectators are expected to watch from the waterfronts. Experts have cautioned that there is a high risk of a terrorist strike on this occasion.
French officials have spent months considering how Russia might sabotage the Games. Russian intelligence-affiliated hackers interrupted the 2018 Winter Olympics inauguration in South Korea, and French officials are bracing for further cyber-attacks this year.
Following threats against highly publicized football matches in Paris and an Islamic State attack in Moscow in March, France increased its terrorist warning level.
For the Olympics, France has also stepped up security. Though the Russian disinformation campaign aims to intimidate people into staying away from the Olympics, neither French nor American officials are issuing warnings to that effect.
Shifted Target in the U.S. and Europe
Microsoft researchers and U.S. government officials have discovered several Kremlin-affiliated organizations disseminating false information against the U.S. and Europe.
President Putin
Aides to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin oversee some of them. Others work for Russian intelligence. Others are people who go undercover as nonprofit organizations. Another group is former employees of the St.
Petersburg-based troll farm Internet Research Agency, which disseminated election-related propaganda in 2016. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the agency, was a mercenary organization founder who spearheaded a revolution against the Kremlin before dying in an aircraft crash last year.
Storm-1679 creates close to eight short films weekly. They are produced in French and English, imitating Al Jazeera, B.B.C., and other renowned channels. They are quick to spread news events such as protests in any part of France, while others amplify the possibility of an attack in Paris.
To an unsuspecting online audience, the videos may seem to be legitimate C.I.A. videos with their logo, but they are not. In one of the videos, the group reported that 24% of the tickets issued have been returned due to fear.
With the Olympic date drawing near, the French government cannot sit back and watch. The legislative branch has proposed creating stiff laws that would punish any individual or organization caught spreading propaganda.
On the other hand, French people and others who are preparing to participate in the event have a role to play. There is a need for “internet hygiene.” Ensure you consume content from verified news channels. When you come across a video that looks fake, could you not share it on your social handles?
