The article is here;Introduction:
State-sponsored disinformation (SSD) targeting nationals of other countries is a tactic that has been used for thousands of years. But SSDs powered by Internet social media are a far more powerful tool than the U.S. government ever imagined until recently. Such disinformation undermines trust in governments, pits social groups against each other (sometimes violently), impedes national unity, amplifies deep political and social divisions, and threatens to bring people together in the real world. It can lead to destructive behavior.
Now that we have realized the power of SSD, lawmakers, government officials, businesses, media personnel, and academics are asking what measures are appropriate to reduce the devastating effects of Internet disinformation. We’re starting to discuss it. Most of the proposed solutions have technical or practical problems, but more importantly, they have the potential to erode the First Amendment’s guarantees of free speech and expression. But foreign powers have no First Amendment rights. Therefore, pursuant to the Constitution, the U.S. government can take action against SSDs if it can definitively prove that the information is being disseminated by a state actor. If the government could constitutionally act against SSDs, could it do so effectively, or do new legal authorities be needed?
The federal government already has numerous legal tools to restrict the activities of adversaries in the United States. Some of these tools have recently been used to combat malicious “influence operations” by adversaries, such as internet-based disinformation. Nevertheless, SSDs from several countries continue. Russia, in particular, is waging a sophisticated campaign aimed at rifts in the United States that could significantly widen the country’s divisions, negatively impact public policy, and possibly incite violence.
Russia is concerned about the characteristics of US presidential candidates, the effectiveness of vaccines,
Martin Luther King Jr., the legitimacy of international peace agreements, and many other topics ranging from the unbelievable to the bizarre. While this topic and social media message may seem silly to many Americans, it certainly has some traction with some, and perhaps enough to bring about change. There is good reason to believe that Russian SSDs had a significant impact on events such as the Brexit referendum and the 2016 US presidential election. However, such actions to prevent SSD risk spilling over into actions that restrict people’s constitutional rights.The effectiveness of hostile internet-based foreign government disinformation used as part of “influence operations” and “hybrid warfare” is limited by the fact that the foreign role is usually well concealed and the damage caused by foreign operations. This is partly due to the fact that it can be slow. And the visible actors are usually Americans who believe they are completely spontaneous. Historically, claims of “foreign ties” have been used to justify repression of Americans who oppose war or other international government activities. Therefore, government sanctions against SSDs, such as regulating social media content, should be closely monitored for abuse and should be directed at state sponsors, not at citizens, wise or ignorant.
Government regulation of social media is problematic because it is difficult to set standards for prohibited expressions, and implementation always requires interpretation. Governments could leverage their resources to publicly identify the foreign origins and attackers behind malicious SSDs. It could share that data with social media organizations and ask them to block or label you. Voluntary bodies sponsored by social media platforms could quickly consider such government requests and make recommendations. Giving governments the regulatory power to block posts on social media, except for posts that clearly promote criminal activities such as child pornography, illegal drug trafficking, and human smuggling, risks future abuses by politically motivated regulators. may lead to.