The Guardian view on Russian disinformation: a foreign threat that relies on UK complicity
Andy Burnham’s accusation against the Kremlin tells half the story. Domestic extremists amplified by US big tech are part of the same problem
TL;DR
- Barack Obama warned of an "epistemological crisis" in western democracies in 2020, highlighting the corrosion of trust in information sources.
- UK Prime Minister accused Russia of an "industrial-scale assault" on the UK's information environment, using bot armies and fake websites.
- A National Centre for Information Defence is being created to counter disinformation campaigns.
- The effectiveness of foreign disinformation relies on US tech platforms, complicit domestic audiences, and the profitability of spreading propaganda.
- Analysis shows many accounts posting about UK civil disorder are based outside the UK, with some tweets originating in the US, including from Elon Musk.
- Elon Musk has promoted a negative view of Britain and his platform has been used by far-right activists; he also addressed a Tommy Robinson rally and funded Robinson's trip to Moscow.