Alleged Russian Deepfake Campaign Targets US Elections Using Celebrity Likenesses
A reported Russian disinformation campaign, identified as 'Matryoshka' or 'Operation Overload,' allegedly used deepfake videos featuring voice-cloned Hollywood actors to spread anti-Democratic messages on social media, ahead of US elections. Celebrities like Alyson Hannigan, Emma Caulfield, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Ed Begley Jr, and Eric Roberts had their likenesses and voices manipulated without consent, often using footage from their Cameo videos or other online sources. The campaign also reportedly misused CNN's branding.
Deepfake videos, attributed by disinformation researchers to Russia's 'Matryoshka' or 'Operation Overload' campaign, reportedly spread across social media with hashtags such as '#AllDemocratsAreCriminals.' These videos allegedly showed Hollywood actors chastising the Democratic Party in self-recorded statements branded with CNN's logo. A voice-cloned version of 'How I Met Your Mother' star Alyson Hannigan was shown saying, 'Today in America, there isn't a single child who isn't under threat from Democrats.' Another video portrayed Emma Caulfield saying Democrats 'drink our blood,' and Sarah Jessica Parker appeared to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Democrats 'Nazis.'
The clips were reportedly created using footage stolen from elsewhere on the internet, including a 2023 Gucci campaign for a fake of Julia Roberts with fabricated audio, and recordings uploaded to Cameo for others. Emma Caulfield stated to AFP, 'I feel violated. This isn't me and worse, this cheap imitation is a soulless idiot.' Ed Begley Jr, whose Cameo submission was altered to depict him bashing Democrats as 'perverts,' added, 'I had no idea this was happening. I want to say on record that I wholeheartedly disagree with everything that the video says.' Eric Roberts, whose Cameo footage was similarly distorted to portray him attacking Democrats over transgender issues, told AFP the statements 'are not my words and do not represent my beliefs. I am deeply troubled that my likeness was manipulated and used to deceive the public.' A CNN spokesperson also objected to the 'unauthorized' use of the network's branding.
Experts, including Clemson University's Darren Linvill, believe this to be 'the first salvo in Russia's targeting' of the November vote. The online collective Antibot4navalny first attributed the deepfakes to Matryoshka due to familiar patterns of distribution and amplification. Pablo Maristany de las Casas, an Institute for Strategic Dialogue analyst, noted that fabricated voiceovers and misuse of CNN's logo are consistent with Matryoshka's low-effort tactics, which have been used in European elections. While the campaign's work often has minimal impact, experts suggest the videos signal Russia's intentions for upcoming US elections. Antibot4navalny also spotted other fabricated CNN video reports smearing Democratic candidates and inauthentic video reports seeking to discredit debunking efforts.