With Fake News, Moscow wants to take, not only in the USA but also in Europe systematically influence. In contrast, the heads of state and government of the EU target with a large-scale awareness-raising campaign.
Yet you are only a small bunch of the EU officials to fight against Russian Fake News. 14 communications experts and analysts of the European external action service, the so-called East StratCom Task Force.
Three years ago, it was set up in order to get an impression of the extent to which the Kremlin and the Kremlin are trying to close to force, to influence European Public opinion through disinformation campaigns on the Internet. Since then, the Task Force has documented claims to 4500 cases and the mechanisms, techniques, and intentions of the Russian sources revealed.
Directs the East StratCom Task Force: The German EU officials, Lutz Güllner
Now the EU wants to go on the Offensive – not with the methods of the Russians, but by the enlightenment of the European Public.
Objectives: to Unsettle and weaken
Probably on the occasion of the European elections next year, the EU has increased the Budget of the Task Force for 2019 on five million euros, and plans to expand the analysis of force to 50 employees. This should help to prevent that in Moscow, in the presidential elections in the United States is trying to take on the election for the European Parliament the influence of, for example, by agitation for anti-European parties.
“Through well-coordinated campaigns, a stable democracy can be unsettled, or in the worst case, weakened or undermined,” says an EU spokesman.
Examples: The case of Skripal and the Ukraine war
How this works in practice, shows the case of a defecting Russian intelligence agent Andrei Skripal. As he and his daughter in March, collapsed in England and was taken to the hospital, and have seen the Doctors is a sign of poisoning with the produced in Russia neurotoxin Nowitschok.
The case Skripal: 20 different versions of Moscow
As the British government pointed the Finger at Moscow, did the Russians immediately. On various websites and Social Media platforms, specifically up to 20 different versions were distributed to the case, which should make the British representation in question. “In the end, many Europeans believed nothing more, unfortunately, also the truth,” said an EU spokesman.
And in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Russian actors have tried according to the EU aimed to influence three groups in Germany: German-Russian, the AfD and the left party. The Motto: ‘strength is the political margins, and you destabilisierst the System.’
Sometimes it is sufficient to say that in the core of the truth, but by the Swelling of sub-aspects or fake evidence, in the jargon of “Artificial Enhancement” to distort the public discourse, explains an expert from the EU.
The ‘Joint Action Plan’
For most of the average users of the Media, it is very difficult to identify deceptive counterfeit articles and Social Media Posts as Fakes. Especially since studies have shown that disinformation in the network spread six times faster than authentic Information.
To the sovereignty of interpretation on the Internet lose: Russian President Vladimir Putin
So, the heads of state and government of the EU want to go now in the information campaign.
On the basis of a plan of action to implement the Commission. Therefore, first of all, the EU institutions and member countries should be networked. In addition, the private sector (Google, Twitter, and Facebook), as well as NATO and the G-7 should be brought into the boat.
The target: A closer exchange of information, to be able to quickly and jointly against Fake News approach. It is an early-warning system, which warns in real time, in front of Russian disinformation campaigns.
The European Public should be made aware in addition, a guide to fake information on the Internet. So far, there is only a Newsletter, which is exclusively addressed to insiders and journalists.