Foreign influence operations will be publicly identified as such only when the Department can attribute those activities to a foreign government with high confidence. Statement of 8 Ways to Stay Ahead of Influence Operations - Foreign Policy In the second instance, influence operations are considered threatening acts conducted by foreign citizens that undermine domestic democratic systems in a targeted state. 8 Ways to Stay Ahead of Influence Operations - Foreign Policy cyber and foreign influence operations in the next 12-18 months. As part of a collaboration between the Stanford Internet Observatory and Lawfare, SIO predoctoral fellow Josh A. Goldstein and technical research manager Renee DiResta reached out to leading researchers of online manipulation and influence operations to ask . PDF What Is So Foreign About Foreign Influence Operations?Report Details Foreign Influence Operations Around U.S ...Influence Operations and Disinformation on Social Media ...Saudi arms deal advances amid foreign influence operation ... He is a visiting fellow at the Hoover . Emerging trends in online foreign influence operations ... What is the impact of foreign influence operations targeting the United States? Who: The witnesses who will testify during this hearing are: Nathanial Gleicher, Head of Security Policy at Facebook; Nick Pickles, Director of Global Public Policy Strategy and Development at Twitter Foreign Influence Operations and their use of Social Media ...FSI - The Threat of Foreign Influence Operations Other foreign actors—including Cuba, Lebanese Hizballah, and Venezuela—also made attempts to influence the 2020 elections, but on a smaller scale. What is the impact of foreign influence operations targeting the United States? In addition to curtailing the flow of information and intellectual collaboration, such actions may also contribute to increasing xenophobia. As part of a collaboration between the Stanford Internet Observatory and Lawfare, SIO predoctoral fellow Josh A. Goldstein and technical research manager Renee DiResta reached out to leading researchers of online manipulation and influence operations to ask . PDF May 2018 GETTING AHEAD OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS Together, the debate series showcases a range of views on the threat of foreign influence operations and touches on topics including the relative effect of domestic versus foreign disinformation, how to think about the impact of an influence operation, and Russia's social media efforts in 2016. Shining light on the shadowy web of inducements, threats, cooptation, and self . Foreign actors are currently using synthetic content in their influence campaigns, and the FBI anticipates it will be increasingly used by foreign and criminal cyber actors for spearphishing and social engineering in an evolution of cyber operational tradecraft. The assessment found that China did not pursue influence operations targeting the U.S. elections, but authorities had considered doing so and decided against it. For more information on the series, click here.. A government agency on foreign influence should be established with powers to investigate and enforce the law as well as initiate public inquiries and collect data on foreign influence. If the United States really wants to fight foreign influence, what's needed is a real discussion about how emotional triggering works, what foreign influence operations are, and how to fight them. From this perspective, general tenets of by Merlin Boone, SPIA International Relations and Security Studies PhD Candidate, for Annotations Blog. Foreign influence operations in the EU SUMMARY Attemptingto influence political decision-making beyond one's own political sphereisnot a new phenomenon-itisan integral part of the history of geopolitics.Whereas hard power relieson militaryand economicforce,the soft power of a stateinvolves public diplomacy and dialogueon As the era of proxy warfare and low-intensity conflict ebbs, great powers have begun to rethink national power and competition for political influence. Yet, the knee-jerk reactions to foreign influence campaigns from some policy makers and parts of civil society have exaggerated the impact, and therefore the threat, of foreign-targeted influence operations. The FBI's Protected Voices initiative provides tools and resources to political campaigns, companies, and individuals to protect against online foreign influence operations and cybersecurity . For more information, see the Lawfare series. Contributors debate whether the threat of such operations is overblown, voicing a range of views on the issue. By searching for malware that could To conceptualize foreign influence operations as part of state-affiliated military operations reflects an established way of thinking about international relations in terms of conflictual relation-ships between sovereign nations locked in a state of anarchy. Developing processes to share information from government entities on foreign influence operations with the individual social media companies to inform threat analysis, and working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as appropriate. The Rand Corp.'s definition is as good as any: "the collection of tactical information about an adversary as well as the dissemination of propaganda . Foreign Influence Operations After 2020. Is public conversation commensurate with the threat level? correction. Foreign influence operations, then, are a central problem that needs to be reflected in, for example, a country-specific strategy that involves deterrence measures. If the United Front Work is a "magic weapon" for Mao and Xi in their bid for internal legitimacy and foreign influence, transparency and rule of law are the magic weapons for democracies. Is public conversation commensurate with the threat level? What is the impact of foreign influence operations targeting the United States? Disinformation or other support or influence by unknown or domestic sources not acting on behalf of a foreign government is beyond the scope of this policy. Other foreign actors—including Cuba, Lebanese Hizballah, and Venezuela—also made attempts to influence the 2020 elections, but on a smaller scale. As part of a collaboration between the Stanford Internet Observatory and Lawfare, SIO predoctoral fellow Josh A. Goldstein and technical research manager Renee DiResta reached out to leading researchers of online manipulation and influence operations to ask . The ongoing rhetoric of fear surrounding foreign influence operations and espionage is now expanding to include foreign students and businesses. In the first case, influence operations are seen as threatening acts directed at a targeted state by foreign states, using behaviors seen as analogous to acts of war. In partnership with the Stanford Internet Observatory, Lawfare is publishing a series assessing the threat of foreign influence operations targeting the United States. . Foreign influence operations in the EU SUMMARY Attemptingto influence political decision-making beyond one's own political sphereisnot a new phenomenon-itisan integral part of the history of geopolitics.Whereas hard power relieson militaryand economicforce,the soft power of a stateinvolves public diplomacy and dialogueon Countering China's Influence Operations: Lessons from Australia. ASD Director Laura Rosenberger testified at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's hearing about "Foreign Influence Operations and their use of Social Media" on August 1, 2018. The danger posed by foreign-backed influence operations is real, particularly to the open Western democracies most susceptible to these attacks. RAND research has enabled military leaders and policymakers to develop strategies and policy frameworks to address the challenges of these military operations. What is the impact of foreign influence operations targeting the United States? The danger posed by foreign-backed influence operations is real . An earlier version of this op-ed incorrectly identified Glenn Tiffert. China's foreign influence operations are causing alarm in Washington. From public health conspiracies to disinformation about politics, social media has increasingly become a medium used by states to meddle in the affairs of others (Bradshaw and Howard 2018; 2019). The Rand Corp.'s definition is as good as any: "the collection of tactical information about an adversary as well as the dissemination of propaganda . Saudi interests' spending on foreign lobbying and influence operations has topped $87 million since 2018, the year Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed, according to Foreign Agents Registration Act data. For more information, see the Lawfare series. Higher Education Act Section 117 Foreign Gifts Reporting. Such operations are sometimes sensationalized and overhyped by politicians and others to distract and confuse the public for their own political ends—but the threat persists and must be taken seriously. Foreign influence operations—which include covert actions by foreign governments to influence U.S. political sentiment or public discourse—are not a new problem. In Chapter One, we provide a definition of influence operations: Influence operations are the coordinated, integrated, and synchro-nized application of national diplomatic, informational, military, economic, and other capabilities in peacetime, crisis, conflict, and postconflict to foster attitudes, behaviors, or decisions by foreign target . Influence operations are elusive to define. For a communications and media scholar like Wardle, foreign influence operations are overblown, but mostly for the oxygen they steal from those trying to fight disinformation at home. What: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing titled "Emerging Trends in Online Foreign Influence Operations: Social Media, COVID-19, and Election Security.". In partnership with the Stanford Internet Observatory, Lawfare is publishing a series assessing the threat of foreign influence operations targeting the United States. The assessment found that China did not pursue influence operations targeting the U.S. elections, but authorities had considered doing so and decided against it. Department of Education . Is public conversation commensurate with the threat level? Of course, the threat of influence operations should not be taken lightly and warrants investigation and thoughtful study. As part of a collaboration between the Stanford Internet Observatory and Lawfare, SIO predoctoral fellow Josh A. Goldstein and technical research manager Renee DiResta reached out to leading researchers of online manipulation and influence operations to ask . Is public conversation commensurate with the threat level? Sens. Covert political influence operations originating from foreign sources have been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent years and have stoked fears about how influence operations might undermine the legitimacy of liberal democracies. Foreign Influence Operations in a Platform Society . programs are poorly equipped to identify foreign influence operations. Foreign Influence Operations in a Platform Society From public health conspiracies to disinformation about politics, social media has increasingly become a medium used by states to meddle in the affairs of others (Bradshaw and Howard 2018; 2019). Ms. Wong. foreign influence operations requires a whole-of-society approach that relies on coordinated actions by federal, State, and local government agencies; support from potential victims and the private sector; and the active engagement of an informed public.