The US is set to step back from joint efforts to combat disinformation from countries including Russia, China, and Iran, according to European officials.
European countries received a notice from the State Department last week about the move, explaining that the US is terminating a memorandum of understanding which was signed in 2024 under President Joe Biden, the officials told The Financial Times.
The agreements had been created to form a unified approach to identifying and exposing harmful information from Russia, China and Iran, designed to sow chaos.
potatolulz on
naturally. After all, the MAGA cult is living off of russian disinfo š
EcstaticYesterday605 on
America is in the gutter.
Responsible-Kiwi870 on
Because it’s them – they’re one of the ones spreading it. Obviously.Ā
WonderfulxSpirit on
This could have some big implications forhow disinformation is handled globally.
trollsmurf on
“this administrationās pro-free speech position, it was woefully and embarrassingly ineffective on its own terms”
This government is anti free speech. Also, conservatives gain from Russian meddling.
The agreements had been created to form a unified approach to identifying and exposing harmful information from Russia, China and Iran, designed to sow chaos.
The initiative was run by the Global Engagement Centre (GEC), the State Department agency that tackled disinformation spread overseas by US adversaries and terror groups.
James Rubin, who led the GEC until December, described the move as a “unilateral act of disarmament” in the information war against Russia and China.
āInformation warfare is a reality of our time and artificial intelligence is only going to multiply the risks from that,ā he said.
The Trump administration has dismantled a number of agencies in government which had sought to protect the integrity of US elections and to combat foreign malign influence.
After it was established in 2011 to counter violent extremism and terrorist propaganda online, the centreās mission was expanded to include tracking and exposing disinformation campaigns.
But Republicans in Congress blocked efforts to extend the agencyās mandate, leading to its closure by the Trump administration in April.
Terminating the memoranda of understanding with European countries is the final step to closing the programme.
Darren Beattie, acting under-secretary for public diplomacy at the State Department, said: āFar from spiking a single plan, we were proud to spike the entire GEC. Not only was GECās infamous censorship activity profoundly misaligned with this administrationās pro-free speech position, it was woefully and embarrassingly ineffective on its own terms.ā
According to the US Intelligence Community, Russia launched a āhacking and disinformation campaignā at the direct orders of president Vladimir Putin, in order to damage Democrat candidate Hillary Clintonās chances of becoming president and help Trump take office in the White House.
Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump denied that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election.
Since 2016, Moscow has appeared to make efforts to meddle in a series of elections across Europe, boosting the chances of parties and figures who are deemed pro-Russia, or at least take a far softer stance on Russia.
IndubitablyNerdy on
Not exactly unexpected, I mean they don’t fight it at home and it tends to favor their side… I wonder why they don’t want to fight it abroad…
They all rejoyced when Zuck discussed reducing content moderation significantly as well and are now doing heir best to interfere with EU regulation when Meta and other social media sites are involved…
FoxFXMD on
Nice, less co-operation with Americans is always better.
PickingANameTookAges on
Quell surprise š¤·
whooo_me on
They really are out to destroy the world order.
No alliances. Might is right. No oversight. Truth is what they say it is.
krLMM on
The new administration is somehow a hostile state run on disinformation, for the benefit of their ultra rich.
Rabbitpyth on
Good
ExpressAssist0819 on
You guys still think the US will respond to an article 5 against Russia, or am I going to get nuked with downvotes again?
Careless-Account5346 on
Oh well, that’s obvious. The US administration is a provider of fakes.
iddereddi on
US is a hostile state.
Sinnestanten on
But of course.
Soggy_Letterhead9375 on
So considering unregulated American social media is clearly a back door to our democracy we all agree on banning it, right? Right?
21 commenti
The US is set to step back from joint efforts to combat disinformation from countries including Russia, China, and Iran, according to European officials.
European countries received a notice from the State Department last week about the move, explaining that the US is terminating a memorandum of understanding which was signed in 2024 under President Joe Biden, the officials told The Financial Times.
The agreements had been created to form a unified approach to identifying and exposing harmful information from Russia, China and Iran, designed to sow chaos.
naturally. After all, the MAGA cult is living off of russian disinfo š
America is in the gutter.
Because it’s them – they’re one of the ones spreading it. Obviously.Ā
This could have some big implications forhow disinformation is handled globally.
“this administrationās pro-free speech position, it was woefully and embarrassingly ineffective on its own terms”
This government is anti free speech. Also, conservatives gain from Russian meddling.
Krasnov slowly prepares the way for his master.
**The US is set to step back from joint efforts to combat disinformation from countries including**Ā [**Russia**](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/russia)**, China, and**Ā [**Iran**](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/iran)**, according to European officials.**
[European countries](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe)Ā received a notice from theĀ [State Department](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/us-state-department)Ā last week about the move, explaining that the US is terminating a memorandum of understanding which was signed in 2024 under PresidentĀ [Joe Biden](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mean-guy-trump-rips-biden-184633212.html), the officials toldĀ [*The Financial Times*](https://www.ft.com/content/d31b56e3-aca9-4ee7-af5a-abec74830455).
The agreements had been created to form a unified approach to identifying and exposing harmful information from Russia, China and Iran, designed to sow chaos.
The initiative was run by the Global Engagement Centre (GEC), the State Department agency that tackled disinformation spread overseas by US adversaries and terror groups.
James Rubin, who led the GEC until December, described the move as a “unilateral act of disarmament” in the information war against Russia and China.
āInformation warfare is a reality of our time and artificial intelligence is only going to multiply the risks from that,ā he said.
The Trump administration has dismantled a number of agencies in government which had sought to protect the integrity of US elections and to combat foreign malign influence.
After it was established in 2011 to counter violent extremism and terrorist propaganda online, the centreās mission was expanded to include tracking and exposing disinformation campaigns.
But Republicans in Congress blocked efforts to extend the agencyās mandate, leading to its closure by the Trump administration in April.
Terminating the memoranda of understanding with European countries is the final step to closing the programme.
Darren Beattie, acting under-secretary for public diplomacy at the State Department, said: āFar from spiking a single plan, we were proud to spike the entire GEC. Not only was GECās infamous censorship activity profoundly misaligned with this administrationās pro-free speech position, it was woefully and embarrassingly ineffective on its own terms.ā
Russia has been accused ofĀ [malicious involvement in a series of elections](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/donald-tusk-tusk-poland-warsaw-polish-b2752506.html)Ā both inside and outside Europe, most famously in the 2016 US election which saw Donald Trump elected for his first term.
According to the US Intelligence Community, Russia launched a āhacking and disinformation campaignā at the direct orders of president Vladimir Putin, in order to damage Democrat candidate Hillary Clintonās chances of becoming president and help Trump take office in the White House.
Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump denied that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election.
Since 2016, Moscow has appeared to make efforts to meddle in a series of elections across Europe, boosting the chances of parties and figures who are deemed pro-Russia, or at least take a far softer stance on Russia.
Not exactly unexpected, I mean they don’t fight it at home and it tends to favor their side… I wonder why they don’t want to fight it abroad…
They all rejoyced when Zuck discussed reducing content moderation significantly as well and are now doing heir best to interfere with EU regulation when Meta and other social media sites are involved…
Nice, less co-operation with Americans is always better.
Quell surprise š¤·
They really are out to destroy the world order.
No alliances. Might is right. No oversight. Truth is what they say it is.
The new administration is somehow a hostile state run on disinformation, for the benefit of their ultra rich.
Good
You guys still think the US will respond to an article 5 against Russia, or am I going to get nuked with downvotes again?
Oh well, that’s obvious. The US administration is a provider of fakes.
US is a hostile state.
But of course.
So considering unregulated American social media is clearly a back door to our democracy we all agree on banning it, right? Right?
The US is the hostile threat
The USA has fallen.