Great Britain is creating a new British unit against Russian disinformation and deepfakes that threaten the country’s security

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly the creation of a new National Information Defence Centre aimed at combating Russia’s information warfare and threats generated by deepfakes.

The new unit will initially operate under the prime minister’s office and his cabinet, and will work with intelligence services, government ministries, the police and media institutions. Its mission will be to identify and counter online lies, fake websites, bots and fabricated material that harm British interests.

Burnham said that the UK and its allies are the target of an “industrial-scale attack” by hostile states, particularly Russia. According to the prime minister, Russian agencies have used the brands of British organisations, including universities and the BBC, amplified far-right narratives and attempted to influence the 2019 British general election.

He said Moscow spends approximately £1.3 billion annually on information manipulation and warned that artificial intelligence will amplify the threat. Burnham indicated that young people who are not in employment, education or training are more vulnerable to disinformation.

The prime minister also said that London had supported the Republic of Moldova in protecting its elections from Russian interference and that the UK is prepared to share its experience with other European countries.