In a recent address to a parliamentary committee, Dan Jarvis, the UK’s Minister of State for Security, reported that a Russian-directed disinformation campaign had attempted, but failed, to disrupt the 2024 UK elections. This operation, known as Doppelganger, was linked to Russian influence networks and aimed to interfere with the electoral process in July 2024. Jarvis highlighted the coordinated efforts of the UK government in mitigating the potential impact of this campaign.
During his testimony at the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, Jarvis elaborated on the actions taken by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to monitor and counteract known Russian manipulation and interference networks. Although the Doppelganger campaign promoted pro-Russian narratives designed to disrupt voting processes, the swift response from UK authorities ensured that its influence was significantly minimized.
Doppelganger has been traced to Moscow-based entities such as the Social Design Agency and Structura National Technologies, operating under the Russian Presidential Administration. The campaign employed fake articles, cloned websites, and social media manipulation to spread pro-Kremlin narratives. In response, US authorities seized 32 internet domains in September 2024 that were used in these campaigns and imposed sanctions on individuals and organizations involved in influencing the US presidential election.
Moreover, the European Union took decisive action in December 2024 by sanctioning two Kremlin officials connected to Doppelganger. This international collaboration underscores the global recognition of the threat posed by foreign disinformation campaigns and the concerted efforts to counteract them.
Maggie Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Future Digital Economy and Online Safety, informed British lawmakers that the UK government continues to work closely with international partners, including the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, to disrupt such activities. This collaborative approach aims to safeguard democratic processes from foreign interference, ensuring election security remains a top priority.