Pro-Dem phony news sites are manipulating ChatGPT users ahead of midterms: report

Websites masquerading as independent, local news sources are promoting Democratic candidates to unsuspecting ChatGPT users, according to a report.The revelations stoke concern about voter manipulation just days ahead of the crucial midterm elections.Digital security firm VisionHeight uncovered 37 phony websites, a number of them “thinly veiled political ads made to look like reporting from local news outlets,” according to NPR.They were cited in ChatGPT answers to questions about congressional candidates and their positions on issues like affordability and public safety — potentially misinforming voters in favor of Dems.In one example, the network of sites tilted ChatGPT answers in favor of Sean McCann, the Democratic candidate in Michigan’s tight race for the 4th congressional district, NPR reported Friday.Asked which candidates in that race “care about affordability,” ChatGPT gave an answer favoring McCann, citing the “Kalamazoo Beacon.”But the “Beacon” appears to be a phony site devoted to boosting McCann — every one of the 16 stories it’s published to date were about him, NPR reported.“The McCann campaign has no knowledge of or involvement with these websites,” a spokesperson for the candidate told The Post.The “Beacon” is one of 10 purported local news outlets in the 37-site network, each promoting a different Democrat in a competitive congressional race, according to NPR and VisionHeight.In Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district, the “Scranton Beacon” published a news-style candidate profile of Dem Paige Cognetti, while “Electric City Watch” urged readers to support the same candidate, according to VisionHeight.In all, the network of 37 phony sites consists of 10 local news outlets, 10 local opinion blogs, 12 statewide websites and five national political outlets — all of them aimed at promoting mostly Democratic candidates, according to VisionHeight.They focus on 10 candidates from coast to coast by providing inf...