Washington, Oct 22:
Social media accounts operated largely from India were paid to circulate political videos targeting American voters ahead of a closely contested Democratic primary in Michigan, highlighting the growing role of overseas networks in US election campaigns.
An investigation reported by *The New York Times* found that at least three dozen videos appeared on X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads in August, before the Democratic primary for a US Senate seat in Michigan. The videos showed people purportedly speaking on the streets about their political preferences and supporting Representative Haley Stevens.
The clips were viewed millions of times and were designed to resemble spontaneous, grassroots expressions of voter opinion. However, researchers tracking online disinformation found that many of the accounts distributing them were based outside the United States, particularly in India.
Posters were reportedly paid between $1 and $5 for every 1,000 views. The arrangement gave the videos an appearance of organic popularity while obscuring the financial incentives behind their circulation.
The campaignâs origins and the identity of those who commissioned the videos remain unclear. The content appeared to be connected to efforts to help Stevens defeat her principal rival, Abdul El-Sayed, in the August 4 primary. El-Sayed won the contest, which was closer than opinion polls had suggested.
Researchers at Antibot4navalny, a group that monitors coordinated online activity, identified 28 accounts on X that shared the videos as part of a paid campaign. The posts generated more than seven million views on the platform. Researchers at Clemson Universityâs Media Forensics Hub identified additional accounts that distributed the material across other social media platforms.
One Instagram account involved in the campaign was operated by a Mumbai-based man who identified himself as Ayush Jain. He said he had earned about $15 for each of 40 posts published through accounts he controlled. Jain said his contract required him to share the videos for at least 30 days.
The company that paid him was identified as Lumina Clippers, a firm registered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a telephone number in the United Arab Emirates. Its operator, Rhys McKay, acknowledged that the company had helped distribute the videos and hired Jain and other individuals. He declined to identify the client who commissioned the campaign, citing confidentiality.
The videos largely featured ordinary political comments and praise for Stevens rather than direct attack advertisements. Some focused on affordability and the cost of living, while another included criticism of El-Sayed based on claims made by a right-leaning online news organisation.
The Stevens campaign did not respond to requests for comment. A former campaign strategist said she had seen the videos but maintained that the campaign had no involvement in producing or distributing them. El-Sayedâs campaign also declined to comment.
The investigation found that the videos did not appear to be deepfakes, although some automated detection services flagged possible signs of manipulation in certain clips. The main concern was the undisclosed, coordinated distribution of political content by accounts that appeared to represent ordinary American users.
Experts say such practices reflect a wider shift in political communication as campaigns increasingly use influencers, short videos and algorithm-driven platforms to reach voters. Paid online networks can generate engagement at a lower cost than conventional advertising while making it difficult for users to identify who is funding the messages.
Similar efforts involving inauthentic online accounts have been reported in other US electoral contests, including local races in California and a voter mobilisation campaign targeting Black voters in Ohio. The findings underline the challenges facing researchers and platforms seeking to distinguish genuine public opinion from coordinated political promotion.