Russia is ramping up disinformation campaigns against France, President Emmanuel Macron, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the event itself. According to the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), these operations combine traditional tactics with advanced artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to denigrate the IOC's reputation and create fears of violence at the Games.
The Russian influence actors, tracked by Microsoft as Storm-1679 and Storm-1099, have shifted their focus to the Olympics since June 2023. Storm-1679 notably released a fake documentary titled “Olympics Has Fallen” on Telegram, reminiscent of the 2013 political action thriller “Olympus Has Fallen.” The “documentary” targets the International Olympic Committee and advances pro-Kremlin disinformation using fake AI-generated audio to make it appear as if actor Tom Cruise had narrated a video.
In addition, Storm-1679 aims to instill fear and deter spectators from attending the Games. Over the past year, the actor has consistently produced deceptive videos predicting violence at the event. In November 2023, it exploited the Israel-Hamas conflict by posting fabricated images of graffiti in Paris threatening Israeli citizens attending the Games.
Another influence campaign actor tracked as Storm-1099 aka “DoppelGänger,” has intensified its anti-Olympics messaging through its network of 15 French-language “news” sites, including Reliable Recent News (RRN). This actor propagates claims of widespread IOC corruption and potential violence at the Games. It also forges articles from reputable French outlets like Le Parisien and Le Point to criticize President Macron, accusing him of exploiting the Games for showmanship and ignoring the hardships faced by French citizens.
Last month, security researchers exposed a sophisticated Russian disinformation campaign part of DoppelGänger that has been actively challenging the credibility of journalists and fact-checkers since May 2022. The primary goal of the campaign is to lessen support for Ukraine amidst Russian aggression and to foster divisions within nations that support Ukraine.