Yahoo News - Top Democrats ask FBI to brief Congress on disinformation threats

VP of Analysis Cindy Otis weighs in on foreign influence in the U.S. presidential election

“We know foreign actors are working to influence the results of the U.S. presidential election, and members of Congress and other public figures are absolutely targets, just as they were in 2016, because of their ability to amplify narratives and influence voters,” said Cindy Otis, vice president of analysis for Alethea Group, a firm that works with political candidates to identify and mitigate disinformation.

“Already we have seen Russian state media and websites we know are linked to the Kremlin push the same conspiracy narratives some members of Congress have pushed, such as the claim that the election will be ‘rigged,’ as well as claims of antifa and ‘anarchists’ overrunning U.S. cities,” continued Otis, a former CIA analyst whose new book on disinformation, “True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News,” will be published at the end of July.

“All members of Congress should take this threat seriously and ensure they receive regular briefings on the issue,” Otis said.

Read the full piece here.