Indian Election Consultants Extend Covert Campaigns Globally, Including US Midterms

Indian political consultancies are expanding their influence globally by employing covert campaign tactics in elections around the world. These firms aim to sway voters through manipulative content, particularly on social media. Recently, Indian social media bots and accounts were identified making posts supporting specific campaigns in the US midterm elections.

These consultancies operate through 'shadow social media accounts' that conceal their identities, disseminating coordinated messages to favor certain candidates or disparage opponents. Consultants who spoke to Al Jazeera stated that they recognize no boundaries or ethical rules in these campaigns.

Highlights

• Indian political consulting firms are running covert election campaigns in numerous countries, including the US midterms.
• Tactics include twisting opposing candidates' statements and creating content with false claims to boost their clients.
• Content is disseminated through 'shadow social media accounts' to appear independent while supporting campaigns.
• Consultants openly admit to manipulating elections and disregarding ethical limits in these campaigns.
• Payments are often made through informal channels and 'black money,' making transactions difficult to trace.

Details

According to an Al Jazeera report, a 22-year-old Indian digital content creator, working for William Ruto's 2022 Kenyan presidential campaign, admitted to designing posters and editing videos that twisted opposing leaders' speeches or made false claims to amplify Ruto's prospects. This content was shared via shadow accounts, and Ruto ultimately won the election.

In the US, researchers identified Indian social media bots and accounts posting videos supporting Democratic politician Haley Stevens in the Michigan Senate primary. The disinformation research group Antibot4Navalny found that at least 15 of 28 X (formerly Twitter) accounts sharing videos supporting Stevens's campaign, which garnered over seven million views, were posting from India. Researchers at Clemson University's Media Forensic Hub also confirmed similar tactics used by for-hire Indian accounts.

These consultancies routinely violate platform policies by buying accounts, rebranding existing pages, or creating new ones to run targeted ad campaigns on platforms like Meta and Google. Payments often rely on informal money-transfer systems like hawala networks, bypassing conventional banking channels. One consultant recounted a dramatic business deal where millions in cash were collected using 10-rupee banknotes with specific serial numbers as codes.

Why it matters

This situation highlights the vulnerability of democratic processes to external interference and manipulation. The unethical practices of election consultancies, which aim to influence voter will, pose a significant threat to the credibility and transparency of elections globally. The low cost of these 'shadow campaign' services, particularly from developing countries, could lead more politicians to adopt these methods, creating a major concern for democracies worldwide.