(New York) Russia has increased the scale of its disinformation campaign targeting the Paris Olympic Games, which aims in particular to raise fears of violent acts during the event, reports a Microsoft observatory.
The Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), managed by the American technology giant, cites two Russian-influenced groups, Storm-1679 and Storm-1099, which combine “old tactics with artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out harmful activities.”
The content broadcast aims, among other things, to defame France, its President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), according to a message posted Sunday on the Microsoft website.
The Games officially open on July 26 and end on August 11.
According to Microsoft and the MTAC, Storm-1679 also “seeks to sow fear to dissuade spectators from attending the Games.”
To do this, this influential group notably posted misleading videos online. One of them pretends to be content produced by the France 24 news channel and claims that 24% of tickets sold were returned for fear of an attack during the Games, which is false.
Another video subject presents itself as a message from the CIA (the main American intelligence agency) and the French Directorate General of Internal Security. He advises Internet users not to go to France due to the risk of attack.
As for Storm-1099, it uses a network of 15 sites with content written in French and which present themselves as news media, which they are not.
These platforms also warn of possible attacks during the Games, criticizing Emmanuel Macron and his government, accused of indifference to the problems of the French.
MTAC expects these activities to “intensify” as the opening ceremony approaches.
The IOC has repeatedly denounced a “campaign of disinformation and defamation led by Russia”.
In June 2023, Storm-1679 posted an anti-IOC mockumentary online titled “the Olympics have fallen”, inspired by “The Fall of the White House” (2013) and using artificial intelligence to imitate the voice by American actor Tom Cruise.