Information warfare

U.S. Senators Seek New Center To Counter Russian, Chinese 'Propaganda'

New legislation being introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to improve Washington's efforts to counter "propaganda and disinformation" spread by Russia, China, and other countries.

The bill, called the Countering Information Warfare Act of 2016, comes amid growing calls in Congress and in many European capitals to do more to fight foreign disinformation campaigns.

Russia, in particular -- through the portrayal of its actions in Ukraine and along the peripheries of the European Union and NATO -- has alarmed lawmakers and policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.

The EU has set up a small unit within the European External Action Service to counter narratives spread by Kremlin-backed media, such as RT and Sputnik, and government-sponsored Internet activists. NATO has also set up a Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, based in the Baltic state of Latvia, to counter Russian propaganda.