Russian Information Operations and Proposed Measures – COVID 19 and beyond

The claims and investigations in the foreign interference with the 2016 elections came as a great surprise. All of a sudden, the United States government and public have become aware of the possibility that foreign powers might use America’s greatest technological innovation, the Internet, against it. Fast forward five years later and we are now in the midst of a global pandemic which has wreaked havoc on the world’s economy and claimed millions of lives. A sliver of hope has emerged in the form of a series of vaccines which have begun to be distributed to front line workers and individuals at high risk. Yet, a disinformation campaign to undermine confidence in Pfizer Inc.’s and other Western vaccines has soon emerged. The US authorities claim that a coordinated online campaign on social media that questioned the vaccines’ development and safety might be instigated by Russian information operations agents.

In order to properly combat foreign disinformation campaigns in the present and future both political parties in the United States should systematically work in a bipartisan manner in order to develop a policy of deterrence against foreign interference through information campaigns. This must all be done while preventing infringing on first amendment rights and the further weaponization of social media. This policy brief by FORCES fellow Elis Vllasi highlights Russian intelligence agencies tactics and their effectiveness in todays political and social landscape and concludes with a series of policy recommendations aimed at countering Russian influence.

Note: The brief represents the opinions of the author and does not represent an official or organizational statement.