UK leads Northern Group response to disinformation
The UK and northern European allies have agreed to establish a multinational group of experts to tackle disinformation at a Northern Group meeting in Norway today.
Minister for the Armed Forces is pictured alongside other Defence Ministers from the Northern Group at their meeting in Oslo. Photo: Norwegian Defence Media Center
Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster led discussions on the subject, stating the importance of getting on the front foot against disinformation and warning that the threat of hostile and brazen disinformation is increasing.
Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster said:
As NATO’s biggest exercise in a decade draws to a close, it is clear we are best equipped to deterring threats when working side by side with allies and partners.
However, we face more than just the conventional threats of old, which is why the UK plays a leading role in all areas of defence including debunking the kind of hostile disinformation we saw from Russia following the tragic attack in Salisbury.
Ministers from the 12 Northern Group nations recognised the value in sharing their own experiences of tackling disinformation as well as acting in unity against future fake news campaigns. It was also made clear that the work undertaken by the Northern Group strategic communications experts will complement the existing activity of NATO, the EU, and the Joint Expeditionary Force.
The Northern Group is a UK initiative which aims to promote more coherent, efficient and effective defence and security co-operation in northern Europe. It comprises 12 nations; Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK - all of which contributed to NATO Exercise Trident Juncture.