Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, has issued a strong warning about the potential for foreign interference in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Speaking at a U.S. Senate hearing, Smith highlighted that the most critical period of vulnerability could occur 48 hours before the election. He referenced a similar incident during the Slovakian parliamentary election last fall, where a Russian group disseminated a deep fake audio to manipulate the vote.
Smith cautioned that Russia, Iran, and China have a vested interest in undermining U.S. democracy, noting that the current election landscape involves not just a contest between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but also a geopolitical struggle involving these nations. He emphasized the sophistication of these foreign actors in both technology and social science, underlining the serious threats posed to democratic processes