I'll just leave this here, w/a reminder that Russia toyed with or attempted perception hacking in 2016 (intrusions into voting systems were ground work for an info op) and '18 (claims of an undetected influence campaign). https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/russias-maturing-information-manipulation-playbook/

Why do they do this? (Thread)

A perception hacking approach lowers the threshold for success—disinformers do not need to perpetuate an operation at scale to create the impression that they did, which is just as damaging.

Perception hacking also complicates efforts to unmask interference, particularly around an election. Share too much and risk perpetuating the very notion you seek to dispel; share too little and risk leaks of politicized or inconsistent info, which also undermines confidence

The Obama administration grappled with this dynamic in 2016, as the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on the USG's. Response to Russian Activities illustrates. https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume3.pdf