US Dangles $10 Million Reward for Info on Foreign Efforts to Influence Elections
Know something about foreign groups trying to interfere with US elections through a cyberattack or via social media? Report it and you could receive a huge reward from the feds.
On Thursday, the State Department announced(Opens in a new window) it’s going to give out rewards of up to $10 million for information on foreign efforts to influence US elections.
The agency is seeking details on any foreign person or entity that’s out to manipulate US elections. In addition, it's offering rewards for information that can prevent, frustrate, or lead to a “favorable resolution” in stopping foreign election interference.
The department defines election interference as any “covert, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful acts” that try to influence voters or undermine public confidence in the election processes. It also called out the internet as a potent vector for foreign groups to tamper with an election.
“Such conduct could include vote tampering and database intrusions; certain influence, disinformation, and bot farm campaigns; or malicious cyber activities,” the State Department says. The agency’s reward also applies to foreign attempts to influence federal state and local elections.
The news comes ahead of the US midterm elections in November. In 2020, the US State Department offered a similar $10 million reward, but it had a specific focus on stopping state-sponsored hackers from influencing that year's election.
Eligible users can submit their tips to the State Department via a federal website(Opens in a new window), which accepts messages from apps including Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp in addition to the Tor browser.
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