Foreign Influence Amplifies Misinformation Amid U.S. Hurricanes

Russian, Chinese, and Cuban actors amplified misinformation during two U.S. hurricanes, complicating disaster relief efforts. False claims circulated about the U.S. denying aid, fueled by AI-generated images. U.S. officials highlighted foreign roles in spreading such misinformation, intensifying criticism of the Biden administration's response.

Foreign influence actors from Russia, China, and Cuba have been intensifying misinformation around relief efforts as a result of two deadly U.S. hurricanes. According to a declassified assessment shared by a U.S. official, these false claims have been hindering efforts to provide disaster relief.

The White House and FEMA have noted a significant rise in misinformation, complicating the work of relief officials and giving rise to political criticism. This wave of false information has also seen echoes in U.S. domestic politics, with some strands being picked up by Republican politicians.

Russian misinformation on platforms such as Telegram included AI-generated images to amplify provocative content. Chinese-linked misinformation hinted that U.S. disaster relief was being undercut by foreign spending, while Cuban actors repeated messages indicating resource diversion due to international alliances, further stoking this narrative.

(With inputs from agencies.)