In the United States, rollbacks of federal efforts to counter foreign influence, coupled with weakening private sector content moderation, will more easily facilitate nation-state online influence operations. These operations will enable a greater proliferation of disinformation designed to stoke societal tensions, diminish faith in democratic institutions and influence public sentiments and government policy. On Aug. 20, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced plans to further slash staff for her office, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the country's intelligence community. In conjunction with previous cuts announced in February, the latest cuts will reduce the office's personnel by nearly 50%. The most recent cuts center on consolidating teams focused on countering cyber threats and influence operations, and they include shrinking the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which serves as the primary organization for integrating intelligence on foreign influence operations, including efforts to influence U.S. elections. While...
