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U.S. Sanctions IRGC Affiliate and Russian Entity Over 2024 Election Interference with Deepfakes

Dec 31, 2024, 04:05 PM

The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on December 31, 2024, targeting Iranian and Russian entities involved in attempts to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The sanctioned entities include the Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC), a subsidiary of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, affiliated with Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). According to the Treasury Department, these organizations aimed to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate through targeted disinformation campaigns, including the use of deepfakes, social engineering, and advanced artificial intelligence tools. The CDPC had planned influence operations since at least 2023. Bradley Smith, the Treasury's Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated, "The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns." The U.S. remains committed to promoting accountability for those involved in such interference efforts.