International Disinformation, Propaganda & Epistemic Security Task Force
A standing cross-divisional task force of the Fostering Diplomatic Relations Directorate, defending epistemic security and countering disinformation — recognizing that the shared factual foundations on which democratic deliberation depends are themselves under systematic attack, and that protecting them requires the full weight of cross-directorate diplomatic, technical, legal, and educational engagement.
Mission & Cross-Directorate Mandate
Defending the Shared Reality That Democratic Governance Requires
Epistemic security — the protection of the shared factual foundations on which democratic deliberation depends — has emerged as one of the most critical and least understood security challenges of the 21st century. State-sponsored disinformation campaigns do not merely spread false information; they systematically undermine citizens' ability to distinguish truth from falsehood, erode trust in institutions and expertise, and create the epistemic fragmentation that makes democratic governance impossible. Russia's information warfare doctrine, China's influence operations, and the domestic amplification of foreign disinformation by domestic political actors have created an information environment in which the basic facts needed for democratic deliberation are contested. AI-generated synthetic media is making this challenge exponentially more difficult. Addressing epistemic security requires simultaneous engagement across technology governance, media policy, education, security, and diplomacy — dimensions that span every division of the Directorate.
This task force coordinates the Directorate's comprehensive epistemic security engagement — defending the information environment that democracy depends on.
Governing Frameworks
Legal & Operational Basis
- EU DSAEU Digital Services Act — binding framework for platform accountability including disinformation risk assessment, transparency reporting, and researcher data access
- NATO StratComNATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence — allied framework for analyzing and countering disinformation targeting democratic societies and alliance cohesion
- FARA FrameworkForeign Agents Registration Act framework — disclosure requirements for foreign influence operations applicable to state-sponsored media and covert influence campaigns
- UNESCO MILUNESCO Media and Information Literacy framework — international education standard for building citizens\' ability to critically evaluate information and resist manipulation
Core Operational Functions
Six Cross-Directorate Capabilities
01
Disinformation Attribution & Response
Coordinate disinformation attribution and response — integrating the Directorate's intelligence, technical, and diplomatic capabilities to identify state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, attribute them publicly, and coordinate allied responses that impose costs on perpetrators.
02
Platform Accountability Coordination
Coordinate international platform accountability — ensuring that the Directorate's engagement with major technology platforms on disinformation is coordinated across allied governments and that platform accountability standards are harmonized internationally.
03
Epistemic Resilience Building
Coordinate epistemic resilience building — integrating media literacy education, prebunking programs, and civil society support into the Directorate's broader engagement to build societal resilience to disinformation at the population level.
04
AI Synthetic Media Governance
Coordinate AI synthetic media governance — developing the international standards for deepfake detection, synthetic media labeling, and platform enforcement that prevent AI-generated disinformation from undermining public trust in authentic information.
05
State Media Accountability
Coordinate state media accountability — developing the international standards for labeling state-sponsored media, restricting its distribution in democratic countries, and ensuring that audiences can identify foreign government-funded content.
06
Epistemic Security Research
Coordinate epistemic security research — supporting the academic and civil society research on disinformation dynamics, influence operation tactics, and resilience interventions that provides the evidence base for effective epistemic security policy.