On Thursday, Attorney General William Barr released a statement claiming that foreign actors and hackers are purposefully inciting violence in protests occurring across the country as a result of the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, on May 25. Barr cited evidence collected by US intelligence agencies that indicate foreign hackers are taking advantage of civil unrest in the US in order to perpetuate misinformation and advance geopolitical agendas.
Barr stated that the US has reason to believe that foreign hackers associated with foreign governments have been using the media and hacking to stir the pot in the US with presidential elections upcoming this fall. Barr did not state which countries the foreign hackers were affiliated with, however, there have been reports of Russian, Iranian, and Chinese interference.
Read More: DOJ Says Foreign Actors Trying to Fuel Violence at Protests Through Misinformation
