Identity theft scandal: European influencers exploited in pro‑Trump campaign
There was an uproar online over fake accounts of alleged Trump supporters. This time, the issue spiraled out of control. Someone used the identities of European influencers to spread political propaganda.
5:14 PM EDT, August 29, 2024
Artificial intelligence brings many potential threats that could affect various aspects of our lives. One of the main concerns is job loss—automation and robotics could replace people in many professions, especially in the production and service sectors.
An equally serious problem is privacy. AI can collect and analyze vast amounts of personal data, leading to privacy violations and the unethical use of such data. Additionally, there is a risk that artificial intelligence could be used to manipulate public opinion, for example, by creating fake information or deepfakes, which can affect democratic election processes.
European influencer’s identity stolen
Debbie Nederlof is a German model. She is raising two children alone. She works two jobs—modeling and a social media manager at an engineering firm to provide them with a decent life. Recently, she received terrifying news: someone using artificial intelligence stole her identity to spread and promote Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign. She is one of 17 European influencers whose images were stolen for unethical purposes.
Who was the virtual character?
The virtual woman went by the name Luna. She claimed to be 32 years old. In March this year, she created a profile on the platform X called "Luna_2K24." Her account featured numerous posts praising the former U.S. president. Here is a sample post from July 29 this year: "Would you support Trump as president forever? I wonder if you all support Trump as president, just like I do." About 54,000 people viewed the post.
Who is behind the campaign?
Emily Horne is the former global head of political communication for Twitter (now X) and the former senior press director at the National Security Council in the Biden administration. According to the expert, all the identity theft cases are connected. She believes this because of the eerily similar posts and tactics used. Additionally, she suspects that a spy is behind it all. In a comment to CNN, she said:
- This could be a spy. The level of sophistication suggests it could be any of the hostile spies, including those from Russia, Iran, and China. We know there are many spies who use social media to try to sow disinformation campaigns in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
Source: CNN
