UK gears up for fight against Russia’s disinformation machine

The UK government will create a new body to track and disrupt disinformation campaigns run by hostile states, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In his first address to the Assembly on 22 September, Burnham told world leaders he was tasking UK security chiefs to begin work on the National Centre for Information Defence, which will operate “to detect, attribute and disrupt these kinds of hostile state information attacks.”

Fake news sites, forged logos and election meddling

According to Burnham, the UK has seen “an industrial-scale assault by hostile actors on the information environment” in recent years.

“Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fears. They’ve used bots and fake websites. Falsified newspaper articles. Forged the branding of 28 British organisations, including universities and the BBC.”

In his speech, Burnham accused Russia of amplifying far right narratives. “And we have evidence that they tried to interfere with the 2019 General Election.”

“The Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion each year on manipulating information,” he stated, noting that UK companies and institutions have also been hit by cyber attacks. “And we know that AI will multiply the threat.”

Burnham argued that the UK has given too much ground to those who want to run “a negative, corrosive narrative about life in Britain.”

“We have tiptoed around this for too long.”

In his view, people struggling with the cost of living, and young people not in employment, education or training, are “much more vulnerable to this kind of influence.

The BBC reports that the centre will work alongside intelligence agencies, government departments, law enforcement and social media to bring together expertise to combat information warfare.

The UK also plans to share its experience with other countries. “We have already supported Moldova to protect its elections from Russian interference. So we’re ready to share our understanding of how these actors work, and how we can respond.”

New laws on the table for AI

Burnham revealed that the UK is developing a new AI defence partnership with the US to protect national infrastructure, and that AI will be at the heart of the UK’s G20 Presidency next year.

“Fundamental decisions on this technology are too important to be left to chance. They must be taken by elected governments who serve working people.”

The UK will work toward “a single set of global principles and standards to ensure the transparency and access we need to increase our preparedness,” he explained. The government will do whatever is necessary to protect the public, “including bringing forward new laws if that is what is needed.”

Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, welcomed the announcement but warned that it leaves domestic misinformation untouched.

Her committee had recommended a single body to counter state disinformation threats in its July 2025 report on social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms, published after the Southport riots. The report also warned that Ofcom was ill-equipped to tackle misinformation from domestic and foreign sources.

“Our warning stands. Today’s announcement will not tackle domestic dis- and misinformation as seen in the recent riots in Belfast. So long as misinformation remains unchecked there will always be routes for disinformation.”

Onwurah urged the government to revisit the committee’s other recommendations, “including measures to tackle the algorithmic amplification of legal but harmful content.”