German government denies foreign election interference was successful therecord.media/german-go…

The German government has denied claims by the chair of the Bundestag’s intelligence committee that the country’s recent federal election was “successfully manipulated” by foreign actors.

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Germany’s security services warned on the last working day before the vote itself that fake videos circulating online purporting to reveal ballot manipulation in the country’s upcoming federal elections were part of a Russian information operation.

The fake videos appeared designed to foment discontent among supporters of the AfD by showing the party missing from ballot papers, or ballot papers marked in support of the AfD being shredded. The authorities assessed they were part of a campaign conducted by a Russian group tracked as Storm-1516, which Microsoft uncovered attempting to interfere in the U.S. presidential election last year.

The argument over measuring the effect of influence operations has been a contentious political issue for years, with many experts warning that overestimating their impact is effectively doing the adversary a favour.