Organizations Banned for Using AI and Cyber Techniques to Interfere in Elections: Iran and Russia

The U.S. Treasury's OFAC imposed sanctions on two organizations - one from Iran and one from Russia - for attempting to interfere with the November 2024 U.S. presidential election through disinformation campaigns.

The Iranian entity, the Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC), is connected to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Russian organization, the Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), is linked to Russia's GRU intelligence agency and is based in Moscow.

The CGE, founded by previously-sanctioned Aleksandr Dugin, used AI technology to create and distribute deepfake content through fake news websites. They maintained their own server to host AI tools and content to avoid being blocked by foreign hosting services. The GRU provided financial support for these operations, including maintaining about 100 websites and covering operational costs.

Earlier in August 2024, U.S. intelligence agencies had accused Iran of cyber operations targeting election-related information. This included activities by the Iranian hacking group Charming Kitten, which targeted individuals through WhatsApp in multiple countries. Additionally, three Iranian nationals were charged for targeting U.S. government personnel.

The Treasury Department emphasized that Russia uses various tools, including covert influence campaigns and cyber activities, to undermine U.S. interests. They noted that the Kremlin has developed an extensive network of proxy websites and fake personas to disguise their involvement in these operations.