Shielding against disinformation in elections in the most "dangerous" context of democracy

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Disinformation has become a "risk" and a "threat" to countries' national security. Also in Spain. "This is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon that represents a risk to the security of States, especially in specific and sensitive contexts, such as during electoral processes," acknowledges the Annual Homeland Security Report 2022, recently published by the Department of Homeland Security.

Interior activated a few days ago the Coordination Network

for Security in Electoral Processes

which, among its missions, aims to detect and act against disinformation campaigns, under the coordination of the Department of Homeland Security, the

and the

of the

. The focus is on cybersecurity, but what really worries are the disinformation campaigns, premeditated actions of "external agents" to influence Spanish public opinion.

The Government is aware of the delicate year in which Spain finds itself, with the celebration of two electoral appointments. The casuistry with respect to the previous elections of 2019 has changed, which has motivated the reinforcement of security mechanisms to alert and neutralize any attempt to destabilize both local and regional elections as well as the general elections next November.

The alert level is higher than in 2019, as acknowledged by sources familiar with the cybersecurity protocol that has already been activated. "There is more surveillance, no doubt, because the

war in Ukraine

It makes the context potentially more dangerous," they say. The same sources insist that the protocol will be the same as it has been activated on other occasions. A few days ago an important disinformation campaign was detected, as he advanced

, which sought to discredit the process with messages on several social networks questioning the solvency of the count and the public's confidence in electoral justice.

In Spain there are examples of campaigns in 2019 that were promoted to try to discredit and destabilize the electoral processes, creating a current of opinion that sought to delegitimize the elections. They are false information that go viral through networks. Many of them were intended to discredit the process, the Government or a candidate. For example, alluding to manipulations with the census, falsification of ballots, irregularities with the postal vote or the recount ... In fact, as experts in the detection of disinformation campaigns expose, attacks on the "cleanliness of the vote count have been increasing in recent years", seeking to focus on the companies in charge of the count.

Foreign interference

The Security Forces carry out monitoring and follow-up for the detection of disinformation campaigns and foreign interference, "especially in the face of critical events or moments for public security in Spain, such as the last summit of the

NATO

in Madrid, the future Spanish Presidency of the

or the electoral processes planned for 2023". Although the Executive avoids focusing on any country or external agent,

,

and even

are some of the names that experts pronounce.

In Spain, since 2021, it is collected how disinformation campaigns pose a serious threat to electoral processes and highlights their potential to polarize society and undermine its trust in the Institutions.

In Spain, since 2021, it is collected how disinformation campaigns pose a serious threat to electoral processes and highlights their potential to polarize society and undermine its trust in institutions.

With the purpose of promoting public-private collaboration, the Department of Homeland Security, attached to

, has brought together experts from civil society to seek their views and recommendations, as reflected in a document edited by

.

"The strongest threat to democracy lies in disinformation campaigns. Its danger lies in its possible influence on the results of elections and, above all, in its structural effects such as the polarization of society or the distrust and delegitimization of democratic processes and institutions," warn the experts advising the Government.

In order to involve the public and private sectors in the fight against disinformation, the Government promoted the Forum against disinformation campaigns in the field of National Security, which was approved in the

Council of Ministers

of May 31, 2022. It has since met twice, October and December 2022. "We are talking about campaigns that originate from abroad. We are not talking about

, no, they are external attacks, "say members of this forum.

"Interference that tries to interfere in electoral processes is always a danger. You have to be watchful, it is necessary, "he explains to

a member of the organ promoted by La Moncloa. "There are campaigns from Russia, from China... of Iran as well. There are many campaigns that seek destabilization, also in Spain. It happened with the

clearly. Now, in addition, destabilization is sought coinciding with the war in Ukraine, "admits another.

"When the electoral processes arrive, there is a special concern, based on citizens making their decision on content that does not respond to reality," says a third member of this forum promoted by the Government.

"There are very skilled interest groups with resources to achieve results that were not so easy to achieve before, both because of the barrage and because of the quality of that information. And these groups are active in networks to manipulate. We must alert to identify these false contents and be able to dismantle them, "summarize the members of this forum.

In numbers

99.000

. They are the agents who will ensure this Sunday for the security of the elections, between

and the different regional and municipal police throughout Spain. It implies an increase of 7% compared to the previous municipal and European elections of 2019.

Great deployment in Melilla

. The device will be especially intense in the autonomous city of Melilla, after a campaign marked by the plot of buying votes by mail. They will be almost

600 agents in this city

, one for every 83 people who must go to the polls.

203.66 million.

The cost of the electoral device depends on the Ministry of the Interior. Logistics, polling stations, security. This Sunday are called to participate in the polls more than 35.5 million citizens to renew more than 8,000 municipalities and twelve regional parliaments.