Anti-disinformation agencies: The battle against misinformation is intensifying

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• October 3, 2023

Insight summary

Countries are setting up specialized agencies to combat the spread of disinformation and fake news. Sweden's Psychological Defence Agency aims to protect the nation from misinformation and psychological warfare, collaborating with various sectors of society. Finland has taken an educational approach, targeting citizens and students with programs that teach how to discern fake information. In the U.S., the Department of Defense is investing millions in technology to detect manipulated media like deepfakes. These initiatives hint at a broader trend: more nations may create anti-disinformation departments, leading to increased employment in this area, the adaptation of educational curricula, and growing regulatory measures.

Anti-disinformation agencies context

In 2022, Sweden established the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency created to protect the country against misinformation, propaganda, and psychological warfare. In addition, Sweden is hoping to defend its national elections from disinformation campaigns, like those that were mounted against the US presidential election campaigns in 2016 and 2021. The agency’s 45 employees will work with the Swedish Armed Forces and elements of civil society, such as the media, universities, and central government, to strengthen the country’s psychological defenses. 

According to upcoming research for Sweden’s Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), as many as 10 percent of Swedes read Sputnik News, Russia’s international propaganda news outlet. Sputnik’s Sweden coverage frequently ridicules the country for its feminist and inclusivity beliefs, depicting its government and institutions as feeble and ineffective while downplaying Russia’s risk of discouraging NATO membership. According to previous reports, Russian propaganda efforts in Sweden have been linked to a larger strategy to polarize debate and sow division throughout Europe. The agency wants to achieve a balance between combatting propaganda while also trying to regulate public information.

Disruptive impact

Perhaps one of the most successful anti-disinformation programs so far is Finland’s. The course is part of a government-sponsored anti-fake news program that began in 2014 and targeted citizens, students, journalists, and politicians on how to combat false information intended to sow discord. The government’s plan is just one component of a multi-pronged, cross-sector approach the country is taking to educate all ages about today’s sophisticated digital environment and how it will potentially evolve. Sharing a border with Russia has made Finland extra-vigilant regarding propaganda ever since it declared independence from Russia a century ago. In 2016, Finland enlisted the aid of American experts to help educate officials on how to detect fake news, why it spreads, and how to combat it. The school system was also updated to focus more on critical thinking. In K-12 classes, students are taught about recent global events and how to analyze their impact on their lives. This includes learning to source reliable information and identifying telltale signs of deepfake content.

Meanwhile, in the US, the Department of Defense (DOD) is spending millions of dollars on various technologies to automatically detect manipulated videos and pictures as deepfake technology improves. According to the DOD, this technology has a national security impact. The media forensics program at the department’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) believes that manipulating videos and images has become much easier than previously possible. The agency’s goal is to predict “strategic surprise” and the world’s reaction to technological advancements before they happen. The agency’s media forensics program is halfway through its four-year research project and has already invested more than USD $68 million in these technologies. They concluded that the ability to modify photos automatically and without expertise would arrive a lot sooner than expected. 

Wider implications of anti-disinformation agencies

Possible implications of anti-disinformation agencies may include: 

• More developed nations establishing their anti-disinformation departments to combat troll farms and the rise of deepfake technology. Best practices and data sharing between these agencies will become increasingly common.
• Government anti-disinformation agencies entering into funding partnerships with domestic media and social media companies to collaborate on anti-misinformation technologies and tactics.
• Deepfake software and apps developing rapidly and becoming more difficult for these agencies to detect.
• The growing number of employees being recruited into the anti-misinformation space, including developers, programmers, researchers, data scientists, and educators.
• Countries creating new curricula and educational programs on identifying fake news and videos.
• Increased regulation and litigation on misinformation campaigns and deepfake crimes. 

Questions to consider

• How do you identify deepfake content?
• How else can anti-disinformation agencies combat misinformation?