With Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announcing last week that a general election will be held on July 4, our Russia and Asia Desks with expert language and geopolitical expertise are following closely. This election, like many others this year, will likely be subject to interference from foreign forces and has triggered discussions among experts about disinformation.There is a focus on notifying the public of this interference and indicating which information they receive is false. The director general of the MI5 has issued a warning about the risk from hostile states and their ability to influence the democratic process.
On Tuesday, general election candidates were warned by MI5 about “those who aspire to manipulate or compromise the UK electoral process.” The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), a part of MI5, has issued a dossier of advice to candidates and poll officials, indicating the methods that hostile states may use to influence the election.
Disinformation campaigns aim to disseminate both fictitious and partially true content, meaning audiences can struggle to verify which information is true [1]. According to the EU, disinformation is considered to be verifiable false or misleading information. It is usually created, expressed and disseminated for to intentionally deceive the public. The messaging is intended to affect democratic politics and decision-making processes, as well as public interests [2].ccording to the EU, disinformation is considered to be verifiable false or misleading information. It is usually created, expressed and disseminated for to intentionally deceive the public. The messaging is intended to affect democratic politics and decision-making processes, as well as public interest [2].
Social media is a key aspect of any disinformation campaign. These platforms can spread messages quickly through likes, shares or comments. Emails and messages can also be transmitted to achieve quick dissemination. Furthermore,anonymous forums can be used to spread disinformation messaging, because of its anonymity, it is difficult to catch the culprit of the spread. Finally, there are specialized disinformation websites that aim to look like real news but are responsible for the dissemination of disinformation.
The influence that state and non-state actors have on democratic elections has been widely discussed since the revelations around the 2016 election interference conducted by Russia [1]. The use of social media to interfere and spread disinformation was a key aspect of this interference. There are fears that advances in artifical intelligence allows threat actors to increase the scale of these influence operations. For example, generative AI can assist in creating lifelike audio of an individuals voice or it could help create realistic fake images [2].
Developments in artificial intelligence and advances in technology such as deepfakes allow malign actors to conduct highly sophisticated disinformation campaigns. The police and MI5 are on high alert for hostile agents who wish to steal sensitive information or influence how those in the UK vote, including physical intimidation and online interference. Last year Sir Keir Starmer fell victim to a deepfake attempt which aimed to capture the leader of the Labour party abusing staffers, however this was quickly disproved [3].
The impact of disinformation in elections is profound and complex. With advances in technology, it is easier than ever to create and disseminate false news. Not only is it easy to mislead voters, it also undermines the democratic process. Black Room Intelligence has a specific focus on the UK and we will be continuing to follow all developments regarding the upcoming general election. Our Russia and Asia Desks with specific language and geopolitical expertise will be following these developments closely. Follow us to learn more about disinformation campaigns and how they can be effectively identified and countered.
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