Senate Intelligence Chair Signals US Is More Vulnerable to Election Threats Than in 2020

Senate Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) sounded the alarm about potential threats to the upcoming election, warning in a recent interview that the U.S. may be more vulnerable now than it was four years ago.

Warner told The Associated Press in an interview on Monday that the rise of political candidates willing to spread disinformation, new artificial intelligence (AI) programs and more advanced disinformation tactics by Russia and China could result in more foreign influence in November elections.

“We may be less prepared 155 days earlier in 2024 than we were under President Trump (in 2020),” Warner told the AP.

The news outlet also noted that many technology companies have suspended their efforts to curb election misinformation on their websites. YouTube reversed its previous policy last year and now allows content that denies the validity of the 2020 presidential election and other elections, as well as false claims about voter fraud.

After tech billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, false allegations of 2020 election interference began to spread unchecked on the social media platform, now known as X. In the months leading up to and following the 2020 election, Twitter doubled down on users spreading false claims about the election.

Warner suggested in the interview that he wasn’t sure tech companies had “done anything in a meaningful way.”

His warning also came months after AI-generated robocalls were made to voters ahead of the New Hampshire primary that sounded like President Biden’s voice telling them not to vote. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) subsequently banned the use of AI-generated voices in robocalls in February.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency unveiled a new program earlier this year that hopes to boost election security in states as threats from disinformation and cyberattacks continue to rise. The agency website includes guidance for state and local officials on how to reduce online risks in upcoming elections.

“For years, America’s adversaries have targeted U.S. elections as part of their efforts to undermine America’s global standing, sow discord within the United States, and influence U.S. voters and decision-making,” it reads. if on the website. The US elections continue to be an attractive target for both nation-states and cybercriminals.”

The Associated Press contributed.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story