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2d ago

Storm-1679 Deepfakes Impersonate Major U.S. Outlets in Latest Disinformation Surge

Security researchers warn that the Russia-linked campaign times its AI forgeries around high-profile events against a backdrop of diminished U.S. counter-disinformation capacity.

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Overview

  • Storm-1679, tracked by Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center and NewsGuard, uses AI-generated audio and video to mimic outlets such as ABC News, BBC, Netflix and recently POLITICO.
  • The campaign launches waves of fabricated content around elections, international sports and diplomatic meetings to amplify false narratives.
  • High-profile deepfakes, including a Netflix-branded Tom Cruise video and a fake E! News clip shared by Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk, highlight the operation’s viral reach.
  • The BBC has confirmed it has been impersonated and urges the public to verify any content against its official platforms.
  • Experts say recent cuts to disinformation units at the State Department and CISA have weakened U.S. detection efforts, enabling more sophisticated forgeries.