TOKYO -- The U.S., Japan and the Philippines will soon launch discussions among experts to share expertise on how to combat disinformation, including fake news spread online by actors linked to China and Russia.
The meetings will launched as soon as this summer. Experts will share examples of real-world harm caused by false information, as well as the best responses. The aim is to accumulate knowledge that will help minimize the damage from disinformation campaigns.
Confronting disinformation has become a common challenge in the global diplomatic community. In addition to communicating accurate information, Japan will work with like-minded nations to combat the problem.
The three nations are all grappling with disinformation campaigns linked to China and Russia.
China issued inaccurate information regarding Japan's release of treated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. A video shared on Chinese social media falsely depicted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida being hospitalized after purportedly eating tainted seafood.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took action in May by launching a page on its website describing its efforts on combating disinformation. The page presents arguments rebutting disinformation on the discharge of treated wastewater.
In the U.S., the 2016 presidential election was rocked by the proliferation of disinformation spread on social media by Russia-linked actors. A similar disinformation campaign poses a threat to this year's election as well.
Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, the country has faced growing pressure from China regarding territorial rights in the South China Sea. Manila has been repeatedly forced to deny disinformation released by the Chinese side.
Russia has weaponized disinformation in its invasion of Ukraine, using videos created by degenerative AI and releasing false reports about military forces.
In one recent incident, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron engaged in a video call with someone impersonating former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. An investigation later found that the video call was a hoax.
This year, China's People's Liberation Army established a unit dedicated to information warfare as part of a larger military buildup. The move appears to be part of diplomatic efforts to gain the upper hand over the Taiwan issue.
