Indian Consultants Accused of Widespread Election Interference
A new report reveals that Indian political consultants are actively engaged in sophisticated shadow campaigns and social media manipulation to influence the United States midterm elections. Researchers have uncovered coordinated online activities designed to back specific candidates, raising significant concerns about electoral integrity.
The alleged interference involves the use of numerous social media accounts and covert online operations. For instance, in a Michigan Senate primary, researchers from the disinformation-monitoring group Antibot4Navalny identified at least 28 accounts on X (formerly Twitter) sharing videos in support of Democratic politician Haley Stevens. Over 7 million views were generated, with at least 15 of these accounts reportedly posting from India.
Open Admissions and Global Reach
The investigation highlights a disturbing trend, with some consultants openly acknowledging their role in manipulating elections. Tushar Giri, a New Delhi-based political consultant, candidly stated, "We are manipulating elections; there is no other way to say it." He added, "There is no free will for voters. Everything is manipulated."
This activity in the US is part of a broader pattern. Indian political consultants are reportedly running similar shadow campaigns in various countries across South America, Africa, Australia, Germany, and neighboring nations like Nepal and Sri Lanka. Numerous consultants informed the news site that these campaigns operate with minimal oversight or safeguards.
Tactics and Circumvention of Platform Rules
Political consultancies advise candidates and parties on garnering public support. The proliferation of social media has significantly expanded their operational scope, enabling targeted advertising on platforms such as Meta and Google to reach vast numbers of voters. Shadow campaigns often involve:
- Taking over established social media pages.
- Creating new accounts.
- Rebranding existing profiles.
- Hiring pages to distribute content deemed too controversial for official campaign channels.
One content creator described a tactic used against female politicians: "if there is a woman politician, they simply link her to someone to damage her reputation." He noted this as an easy method of discrediting.
Despite stringent policies from platforms like Meta and Google regarding identity verification and disclosure for political advertisers, consultants admit these rules are routinely circumvented. Methods include using virtual private networks (VPNs) and altering accounts' stated countries of origin. Giri emphasized that while companies like Meta and Google have extensive rulebooks, careful study reveals numerous loopholes to exploit.
Financial Underpinnings and Past Scandals
The report also indicates that several of these consultancies rely on informal hawala networks for financial transactions. One consultant even referred to black money as the "pillar of political consultation."
These practices draw parallels to the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal, where the British political consulting firm was accused of illicitly obtaining personal data from millions of Facebook users. That firm utilized information gathered via a third-party app to construct psychological profiles of voters, tailoring campaign messages accordingly. Although Cambridge Analytica faced suspension and investigations, the new report suggests similar, albeit evolved, tactics persist in the global political consulting arena.