What Are the New Tactics of Foreign Disinformation in Elections?

TL;DR

Foreign disinformation tactics have evolved significantly since 2016. Countries like Russia and China are now using sophisticated methods to undermine democracies, including media manipulation and narrative laundering across various regions. Effective countermeasures include exposing covert operations early, enhancing local journalism, and improving media literacy to build resilience against false information.

Transcript

TEMPLE-RASTON: Good morning. My name is Dina  Temple-Raston. And I’m the host and managing editor of the Click Here podcast from Recorded  Future News. We’re about all things cyber and   intelligence. And we’re here today at the Council  on Foreign Relations to discuss Guarding the Ballot: Addressing Foreign Disinformation and  Election Interferenc... Read More

Key Insights

• Foreign disinformation tactics have evolved since 2016, with autocratic states like Russia and China using sophisticated methods to undermine democracies globally.
• Russia and China are leveraging their media resources to promote authoritarian narratives, targeting regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• The Global Engagement Center emphasizes the asymmetry in information warfare, where authoritarian states freely operate globally, while democracies face challenges in accessing closed societies.
• The effectiveness of foreign disinformation and countermeasures remains unclear, with a significant research gap in understanding their impact on elections and society.
• Efforts to counter disinformation include exposing covert operations early and building coalitions to protect information sovereignty.
• Local journalism and media literacy education are crucial in combating disinformation, as they promote civic knowledge and resilience against false information.
• Social media platforms play a significant role in disinformation spread, with calls for regulation and accountability to mitigate their impact.
• AI presents new challenges in disinformation, with concerns about its use in creating realistic false content and its impact on the information economy.

Questions & Answers

Q: How have disinformation tactics changed since 2016?

Since 2016, disinformation tactics have become more sophisticated, with autocratic states like Russia and China using advanced methods to undermine democracies. They now focus on injecting narratives into existing social media followings and using international media to spread their messages, rather than building new personas.

Q: What role do Russia and China play in global disinformation efforts?

Russia and China play significant roles in global disinformation efforts by leveraging their media resources to promote authoritarian narratives. They target regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America, aiming to destabilize democracies and promote autocratic values through strategic information warfare.

Q: What challenges do democracies face in countering disinformation?

Democracies face challenges in countering disinformation due to the asymmetry in information warfare. Authoritarian states can freely operate globally, while democracies struggle to access closed societies. Additionally, the effectiveness of countermeasures remains unclear, highlighting the need for better research and strategic approaches.

Q: How can local journalism help combat disinformation?

Local journalism plays a crucial role in combating disinformation by promoting civic knowledge and resilience against false information. It creates a connective tissue that helps build awareness of local issues. Investing in local journalism can significantly enhance the public's ability to discern true from false information.

Q: What are the proposed solutions to counter disinformation?

Proposed solutions to counter disinformation include exposing covert operations early, building coalitions to protect information sovereignty, and regulating social media platforms. Additionally, enhancing media literacy education and supporting local journalism are seen as effective measures to build resilience against false narratives.

Q: What is the role of social media platforms in spreading disinformation?

Social media platforms play a significant role in spreading disinformation, as they often serve as the medium through which false narratives are disseminated. There are calls for regulation and accountability to mitigate their impact, including transparency in content provenance and reducing engagement-focused algorithms.

Q: How does AI affect the disinformation landscape?

AI affects the disinformation landscape by enabling the creation of realistic, personalized false content. While concerns exist about its persuasive power, the broader impact lies in how AI may change the information economy, potentially diverting resources from traditional media to AI-driven platforms.

Q: How can countries protect their information sovereignty?

Countries can protect their information sovereignty by establishing their information domains as sovereign spaces. This involves ensuring transparency in content provenance and penalizing covert operations. Building international coalitions to uphold these principles is seen as a way to counteract disinformation efforts by authoritarian states.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The panel discusses how foreign disinformation tactics have evolved since 2016, with Russia, China, and other autocratic states using sophisticated methods to undermine democracies globally. They emphasize the need for proactive measures to counter these threats.

• The Global Engagement Center highlights the asymmetry in information warfare, where authoritarian states can freely operate globally, while democracies face challenges in accessing closed societies. Efforts to counter disinformation include exposing covert operations early and building coalitions.

• Local journalism and media literacy education are crucial in combating disinformation, promoting civic knowledge and resilience against false information. The role of social media platforms and AI in spreading disinformation is discussed, with calls for regulation and accountability.