A false claim circulating on social media that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris left a 13-year-old girl paralyzed after an alleged hit-and-run in San Francisco in 2011 is the work of a covert Russian disinformation operation, according to new research by Microsoft MSFT.O . Researchers found that the operation created a video, paid an actor to appear as the alleged victim, and spread the claim through a fake website for a non-existent San Francisco news outlet named “KBSF-TV”.
The Russian group responsible, which Microsoft dubs Storm-1516, is described as a Kremlin-aligned troll farm. The discovery is a sign of Russia ramping up its foreign influence efforts ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, Microsoft said.
A spokesperson for the Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. “Russian influence operations initially struggled to pivot operations aimed at the Democratic campaign following President Biden’s departure from the U.S.
2024 presidential race,” a blog published on Tuesday by Microsoft said. “In late August, however, elements of prolific Russian actor Storm-1516 began producing content implicating Vice President Harris and Governor Walz in outlandish fake conspiracy theories,” Microsoft said, referring to Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz. Storm-1516 is known for producing misleading videos featuring on-screen or voice actors who impersonate whistleblowers or journalists that share false, scandalous informati.