China influence campaign attempting to 'discourage' Americans from voting: cybersecurity group

Cybersecurity firm Mandiant on Wednesday said an influence campaign suspected of operating in support of China's public interests is targeting the United States by seeking to "sow division" both between the country and its allies and within the U.S. itself.

The group behind the campaign is also making "aggressive attempts" to discourage Americans from voting in upcoming midterm elections and circulating allegations that the United States was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, the security firm said.

The campaign's larger goal is to "sow division both between the U.S. and its allies and within the U.S. political system itself," Mandiant stated.

The influence campaign, known as DRAGONBRIDGE, has criticized American society through racial and social justice narratives, the group said. 

The Chinese-linked campaign has also created fake accounts and spread a video in English across several social media platforms last month telling Americans not to vote.

The report comes after the Justice Department charged 13 people earlier this week with acting as spies on behalf of the Chinese government against the United States.