Social engineering... also called election campaigns?

I didn't realize foreign powers running massive botnets on Facebook and Twitter to share fake news stories was considered an 'election campaign'.

It's more than that. Advertising is legal as long as it's not libel.

Hacking into machines that store voter data isn't legal.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-13/russian-b...

But it is helpful for voter targeting, especially when you pass that information onto republicans who offer to buy it. Also helpful is targeting swing state databases and deleting the voter registrations of people who you think would vote against your candidate.

Did you miss the Cambridge Analytics hype campaign?

Even the Russians started using typewritters on sensitive stuff. Even they know complicated computers aren't the solution. Then, the German folks have it all figured out: just use complicated computers with extra complications. Hand-checked, scan sheets are better route so far.

Interestingly, Germany has at least three, security-focused microkernels, two defense contractors making high-security devices (eg TEMPEST) that I know of, and maybe one fab. Funny how little they're utilizing this German talent for protecting German votes.