The US Needs a Center to Counter Foreign Malign Influence at Home
National security entities coordinate their fight against disinformation abroad. They need a way to do so within our borders.
BRIAN MURPHY | MARCH 20, 2022 08:00 AM ET
The Biden administration’s decision to preemptively debunk—“pre-bunk”—Russia’s attempts to paint invasion as something other than naked aggression was key to rallying the world to Ukraine’s aid. This success underscores the need for a Center to Counter Foreign Malign Influence that can anticipate, identify, and defuse foreign-backed disinformation—not just in the face of impending war, but day to day, to keep it from undermining the foundations of our democracy.
The need for such a center has been clear for years. During my time as Acting Under Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis for the Department of Homeland Security, I tracked the influence of foreign influence campaigns on domestic extremism. Foreign actors seek to exploit our freedom of speech, find gaps between domestic and national security defenses and spread lies that undermine our democracy. Currently, the United States has no integrated approach to combating foreign-backed disinformation occurring within the Homeland.
The recent success in thwarting the Russian disinformation plan in Ukraine shows why national security entities such as the National Security Agency, CIA, and State Department coordinate efforts to fight disinformation outside the United States. The much more difficult challenge is what to do about foreign-backed efforts within our borders.
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2022/03/us-needs-center-counter-foreign-malign-influence-home/363366/
