Fake news, disinformation and the democratic state

Julian Richards
2021 La Revista Icono 14  
From the 2014 referendum in the UK on Scottish independence, a number of political leaders in the West have accused the Russian government of industrial-scale organised disinformation, designed to undermine the democratic process. A number of allegations have also suggested that the Kremlin has been providing financial and other aid to far-right groups in the West to disrupt the political process. In this analysis, the case study of the UK is taken in the period 2014-20. An examination is taken
more » ... of current research on the scale and effect of organised Russian disinformation strategies; and the emerging official narrative in the UK government about how to deal with the problem. This narrative reveals a complex interplay between defending democracy, while maintaining a "hands-off" approach and ensuring that tech business is welcomed.
doi:10.7195/ri14.v19i1.1611 fatcat:oh4bwxfeqff3levuzgmab46t6u