United Kingdom to create disinformation countermeasures center — The Guardian
The United Kingdom plans to create a National Information Defence Centre to counter disinformation, deepfakes and information attacks by foreign states. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said this during a speech at the UN in New York, United States, The Guardian reports.
Powers of the new center
According to Burnham, the center is to detect information attacks, establish their origin and counter them. Intelligence services, law enforcement agencies and social media companies are planned to be involved in its work.
One of the structure's tasks will be to strengthen the country's defensive capabilities in countering information warfare. The center is also expected to help communities recognize and counter disinformation in order to prevent the spread of distorted and false narratives about the United Kingdom.
The prime minister said that artificial intelligence will intensify threats, including those related to deepfakes. He also said that people facing difficulties due to the rising cost of living, as well as young people who are not working, studying or undergoing vocational training, may be more vulnerable to external influence online.
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Statements about Russian campaigns
Burnham specifically mentioned Russia, the aggressor state. According to him, the Kremlin spends about £1.3 billion annually on information manipulation.
The prime minister claims that Russian entities used bots, fake websites and forged newspaper articles, and also falsified the branding of 28 British organizations, including universities and the BBC. According to him, they also spread far-right narratives, and British authorities have data on attempts to interfere in the 2019 general election.
The United Kingdom plans to share its experience in countering information attacks with other states. Burnham noted that the country had already supported Moldova in protecting its elections from Russian interference.
