Enlarge (credit: da-kuk/Getty)

Kremlin-backed actors have stepped up efforts to interfere with the US presidential election by planting disinformation and false narratives on social media and fake news sites, analysts with Microsoft reported Wednesday.

The analysts have identified several unique influence-peddling groups affiliated with the Russian government seeking to influence the election outcome, with the objective in large part to reduce US support of Ukraine and sow domestic infighting. These groups have so far been less active during the current election cycle than they were during previous ones, likely because of a less contested primary season.

Stoking divisions

Over the past 45 days, the groups have seeded a growing number of social media posts and fake news articles that attempt to foment opposition to US support of Ukraine and stoke divisions over hot-button issues such as election fraud. The influence campaigns also promote questions about President Biden’s mental health and corrupt judges. In all, Microsoft has tracked scores of such operations in recent weeks.

Enlarge / Aitana Lopez, an AI-generated influencer, has convinced many social media users she is real. (credit: FT montage/TheClueless/GettyImages)

Pink-haired Aitana Lopez is followed by more than 200,000 people on social media. She posts selfies from concerts and her bedroom, while tagging brands such as hair care line Olaplex and lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret.

Brands have paid about $1,000 a post for her to promote their products on social media—despite the fact that she is entirely fictional.

Aitana is a “virtual influencer” created using artificial intelligence tools, one of the hundreds of digital avatars that have broken into the growing $21 billion content creator economy.

Enlarge (credit: Anadolu Agency / Contributor | Anadolu)

YouTube has removed one video and stopped monetizing YouTube influencer Cynthia G's channel after finding that the account repeatedly violated YouTube policies by posting videos over the past two years that accumulated tens of thousands of views by calling for Black abortions.

The decision came after an Ars reader asked Ars to investigate why these videos do not violate YouTube's community guidelines.

The video that YouTube removed was titled "If Aborting Black Males Isn't The Solution, What Is?" It was posted in November 2021 and, as of last week, still qualified for ad monetization. In the video, Cynthia G said that "a lot of people" considered the "solution" to be "something horrible that is genocidal" and provided a racist justification, saying that the only way to counter Black male violence is to "eliminate" Black men.