Perspective: Truth decayWho Leads the U.S. “War” on Disinformation?

Published 12 August 2019

When former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before the House Intelligence Committee last week about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, some saw his comments about Moscow’s ongoing meddling attempts as the most important statement of the day. “It wasn’t a single attempt,” he said when asked about the spread of disinformation and whether Moscow would replicate the efforts again. “They’re doing it as we sit here and they expect to do it during the next campaign.” It’s not clear, however, who can or will lead the charge in this “war on disinformation.” Even as experts say the problem is worsening, it is unlikely that the current divided government could produce anything close to a solution.

When former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before the House Intelligence Committee last week about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, some saw his comments about Moscow’s ongoing meddling attempts as the most important statement of the day.

“It wasn’t a single attempt,” he said when asked about the spread of disinformation and whether Moscow would replicate the efforts again. “They’re doing it as we sit here and they expect to do it during the next campaign.”

Daniel Funke and Susan Benkelman write in Poynter that now we also know from reporting by the Washington Post that it’s not just the Russians. Disinformation is coming from Iran as well as other foreign actors seeking to sow chaos and uncertainty among U.S. voters. Said The Post, “A short list of countries that host online influence operations with a history of interfering across borders includes Saudi Arabia, Israel, China, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela, researchers say.”

Washington has a long tendency to rhetorically militarize national problems that need tackling, from the war on poverty to the war on drugs. But the need for a “war on disinformation” is not hyperbole, given the warnings of U.S. intelligence agencies that adversaries want to destabilize the U.S. information ecosystem.

It’s not clear, however, who can or will lead the charge in this conflict. Even as experts say the problem is worsening, it is unlikely that the current divided government could produce anything close to a solution.