G7 Rapid Response Mechanism slams Russia’s global disinformation campaign

The G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) said on January 17 that it notes recent statements by the US, UK and Canada exposing ongoing covert activities of Russian state media outlet RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Social Design Agency (SDA), which reveal that the Kremlin has funded and directed covert efforts by these entities to subvert societies using global disinformation and influence campaigns.

“The above-referenced statements have noted that RT and SDA employ deceitful tactics, aiming to exploit social and political issues to polarize and weaken societies, to undermine and delegitimize elected governments, and to advance the Kremlin’s malign interests,” the G7 RRM statement said.

This includes diverting attention from the atrocities committed and humanitarian crises caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The G7 RRM regards any foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) with the utmost seriousness, it said.

The statement said that G7 RRM members will continue to shed light on these malign activities, “which may include but are not limited to state-backed hostile cyber activities, psychological and information operations, and covert influence”.

Since its inception, the G7 RRM has focused on countering foreign state-sponsored disinformation and promoting the resilience of society against FIMI –  foreign information manipulations and interference.

The G7 RRM includes G7 members and partners, including Australia, New Zealand, Nato, the Netherlands, and Sweden as observers.

(Photo: Ilker/ sxc.hu)

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