Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act
2016 American anti-propaganda legislation
Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act
The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act (CFPDA), initially called the Countering Information Warfare Act, is a bipartisan law of the United States Congress that establishes an interagency center within the U.S. Department of State to coordinate and synchronize counterpropaganda efforts throughout the U.S. government.[1] It also provides funding to help train journalists and support private sector entities and experts who specialize in foreign propaganda and disinformation.[1]
In both the House and Senate, the bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017. It passed the House in this fashion in a conference report vote on 2 December 2016; the Senate then passed the measure in a conference report on 8 December by a tally of 92–7. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 23 December 2016, thus enacting the CFPDA.[3]
History
Video of U.S. Senators Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Chris Murphy speaking about the bipartisan bill
The bipartisan bill was written in March 2016 by U.S. Senators Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Chris Murphy.[4] It was introduced by Senator Portman under its initial name Countering Information Warfare Act, on 16 March 2016 as S.2692.[5] It was introduced as the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act in the United States House of Representatives on 10 May 2016 as H.R.5181, co-sponsored by Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger along with Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu.[6][7] The bill was introduced as the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act in the United States Senate on 14 July 2016 sponsored by Senator Rob Portman as S.3274.[8]
The bill advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives on 2 December 2016, when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 conference report to S. 2943 passed in that chamber, including the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act.[7]
In a speech to lawmakers on 8 December 2016, Hillary Clinton called attention to the issue, saying pending legislation before the U.S. Congress would "boost the government's response to foreign propaganda."[11] She called on trendsetters in society to work together on the problem: "It's imperative that leaders in both the private sector and the public sector step up to protect our democracy, and innocent lives."[11]
On 8 December 2016, the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act passed a vote in the U.S. Senate by a wide margin.[12] It was included together with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report for fiscal year 2017, which passed in the U.S. Senate with a final tally of 92 to 7.[12]
In the version of the bill incorporated into the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the U.S. Congress would ask the United States Secretary of State to collaborate with the United States Secretary of Defense and other relevant Federal agencies to create a "Global Engagement Center" (GEC) to fight against propaganda from foreign governments and publicize the nature of ongoing foreign propaganda and disinformation operations against the United States and other countries.[13] The bill called for an inter-agency effort to "counter foreign propaganda and disinformation directed against United States national security interests and proactively advance fact-based narratives that support United States allies and interests."[10]
Supporters of the resolution inside the Defense Department have publicly expressed their desire to weaken the interpretation of domestic propaganda protections, laws which prevent the United States Department of State from gathering information necessary to develop targeted propaganda messaging and prevent them from explicitly attempting to influence opinions.[10]
According to The New York Times, as of March 2018, the State Department had not yet begun to spend the $120 million allocated to it, and not one of the 23 analysts working in the GEC could speak Russian.[14] In 2020, the GEC issued its first report, describing what it called "Pillars of Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem."[15][16] The GEC published another report on Kremlin-funded disinformation in January 2022.[17]
^"State Dept. Was Granted $120 Million to Fight Russian Meddling. It Has Spent $0". New York Times. March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2022. the State Department has yet to spend any of the $120 million it has been allocated since late 2016 to counter foreign efforts to meddle in elections or sow distrust in democracy. As a result, not one of the 23 analysts working in the department's Global Engagement Center — which has been tasked with countering Moscow's disinformation campaign — speaks Russian, and a department hiring freeze has hindered efforts to recruit the computer experts needed to track the Russian efforts.
^Barnes, Julian E. (August 5, 2020). "State Dept. Traces Russian Disinformation Links". New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2022. Russia continues to use a network of proxy websites to spread pro-Kremlin disinformation and propaganda in the United States and other parts of the West, according to a State Department report released on Wednesday. The report is one of the most detailed explanations yet from the Trump administration on how Russia disseminates disinformation, but it largely avoids discussing how Moscow is trying to influence the current campaign.
