New UK agency will tackle ‘information warfare’ from likes of Russia, Burnham says

PM aims to ‘stem poisonous tide’ of disinformation and deepfakes with National Centre for Information Defence

Security chiefs will set up a new national centre to tackle disinformation and deepfakes from hostile states such as Russia, Andy Burnham has announced, saying the government had a duty to “stem the poisonous tide” from damaging British interests.

The National Centre for Information Defence will “detect, attribute and disrupt” information attacks by foreign powers, many of which are enabled by AI , bringing together the intelligence agencies, law enforcement and social media companies.

It will be tasked with making sure the UK has the defensive capability necessary to combat information warfare and build national resilience by helping communities to identify and combat disinformation, preventing a “distorted and untrue” narrative about the UK.

Burnham said the country would have to go into the next decade “eyes wide open” about “insidious” campaigns, many of which had been orchestrated by Russia, which “twisted” what people at home felt about their own country and community.

In eye-catching remarks, the prime minister suggested that Britons who were struggling with the cost of living and young people not in education, training or employment may be particularly susceptible to foreign influence online, underlining how inequality further undermined society.

In his speech to the UN in New York on Tuesday night, Burnham said: “We’re talking about an insidious campaign that reaches into people’s homes and twists what they feel about their own country and community – creating a narrative of decline, stoking division and sowing despair.

“On top of that, we have seen cyber-attacks on our companies and institutions . We know that AI will multiply the threat. We have tiptoed around this for too long. Over the last decade we have given too much ground to those who want to run a negative, corrosive narrative about life in Britain, which bears no resemblance to reality. Well, no more.

“We are going to face the new decade in a different way – with our eyes wide open. We are going to be much prouder in standing up for our values and the rule of law.