Page 1 GAO-24-107600 FOREIGN DISINFORMATION
Foreign disinformation—defined in this report as false claims or misleading
information deliberately created or spread by foreign actors to deceive people—
threatens U.S. national security. Disinformation can weaken democracies while
increasing political instability and conflict among people, according to reports
from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Foreign
disinformation is a type of foreign malign influence activity. Tactics to create or
spread disinformation include employing foreign actors behind fake social media
accounts and using websites with both hidden operators and hidden connections
to foreign governments.
U.S. agencies have reported that foreign governments have conducted
disinformation campaigns in recent years to undermine U.S. foreign policy
interests and disrupt civil discussions in the United States and abroad. These
foreign governments spread disinformation in a variety of ways, including through
state-run or sponsored propaganda, social media, and artificial intelligence—
such as deepfakes, which are videos, photos, or audio recordings that appear
real but have been manipulated with artificial intelligence.
U.S. federal agencies that conduct activities to counter disinformation spread by
foreign actors include the Departments of State (State), Homeland Security
(DHS), and Defense (DOD).
In recent years, ODNI, State, and DHS have reported that foreign governments,
terrorists, and extremist groups spread disinformation to gain influence. Once
disinformation is released, it can spread very rapidly as individuals and media
outlets share the narratives as shown in figure 1.
U.S. Government Accountability Office
: Defining and
-24-107600
Report to Congressional Requesters
26, 2024
