Defending the homeland means fighting disinformation

Hour by hour, America is under attack from foreign actors — not via bombs, but via the screens we surround ourselves with. Disinformation campaigns from Russia and China infiltrate platforms, email inboxes, televisions, and everyday conversation, systematically targeting American society. The evolution of artificial intelligence has enhanced these attacks with convincing deepfakes, automated campaigns, and new methods to exploit vulnerabilities.

This is a direct attack on America itself, as disinformation is a highly effective tool used by China and Russia to erode societal resilience and, by extension, challenge homeland defense by influencing American decision-making and shaping American perceptions. And if America is under attack, then the US military has a role to play in keeping the homeland safe. At a time when there is little societal trust, the military needs to step up into a higher-profile role directly combating foreign disinformation efforts.

The information environment is a vital layer of homeland defense, a cognitive battlefield where beliefs and perceptions are shaped and contested. Adversaries use it to spread false narratives, influence decision-making, and erode resilience. Disinformation exploits friction points and undermines trust in institutions. Homeland defense means more than intercepting missiles and guarding the border; it means contesting the information space adversaries currently occupy in America’s cognitive domain.

Read more at Breaking Defense