1 October 2020 

The FBI and CISA are 

issuing this PSA as a part 

of a series on threats to 

the 2020 election to enable 

the American public to be 

prepared, patient, and 

participating voters. 

Foreign Actors Likely to Use Online Journals to 

Spread Disinformation Regarding 2020 Elections 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and 

Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are issuing this announcement to raise 

awareness of the potential threat posed by foreign-backed online journals 

that spread disinformation regarding the 2020 elections. Foreign intelligence 

services have been known to use websites, including pseudo-academic 

online journals, to disseminate articles with misleading or unsubstantiated 

information. Such sites could be employed during the 2020 election season 

in an attempt to manipulate public opinion, sow discord, increase societal 

divisions, cause widespread confusion, discredit the electoral process, and 

undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions. 

Foreign intelligence services have used online journals, including some with 

a global reach, to exacerbate disunity and dysfunction in the United States 

while also misinforming or misleading readers. These journals have been 

used to complement foreign governments’ disinformation and overt 

propaganda campaigns. Foreign intelligence services have also used other 

online platforms to amplify the journals’ messages and increase their global 

reach. 

As foreign actors intensify their efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 

U.S. elections, they could use online journals to advance and launder 

misinformation and disinformation to denigrate or support specific 

candidates or political parties. Foreign actors could also use online journals 

to target the U.S. elections by making claims of voter suppression, 

amplifying reports of real or alleged cyberattacks on election infrastructure, 

asserting voter or ballot fraud, and spreading other information intended to 

convince the public of the elections’ illegitimacy. 

Recommendations 

• Seek out information from trustworthy sources, verify who produced 

the content, and consider their intent.

• Rely on state and local election officials as the authoritative sources

of information about how elections are conducted in their

jurisdictions.

• Verify through multiple reliable sources any reports about problems

in voting or election results, and consider searching for other reliable
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sources before sharing such information via social media or other 

avenues. 

• Report potential election crimes—such as disinformation about the 

manner, time, or place of voting—to the FBI. 

• If appropriate, make use of in-platform tools offered by social media 

companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be spreading 

false or inconsistent information about election-related problems or 

results. 

The FBI and CISA urge the American public to critically evaluate the sources 

of the information they consume and to seek out reliable and verified 

information. The FBI is responsible for investigating malign foreign influence 

operations and malicious cyber activity targeting election infrastructure and 

other U.S. democratic institutions. CISA is responsible for protecting the 

nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats. The FBI and

CISA provide services and information to uphold the security, integrity, and 

resiliency of the U.S. electoral processes. 

Victim Reporting and Additional Information 

The FBI encourages the public to report information concerning suspicious 

or criminal activity to their local field office (www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field). 

For additional assistance and best practices, such as media literacy, please 

visit the following websites: 

• Protected Voices: 

www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/foreigninfluence/protected-voices 

• Election Crimes and Security: www.fbi.gov/scams-andsafety/common-scams-and-crimes/election-crimes-and-security 

• #Protect2020: www.cisa.gov/protect2020