New Technologies Make it Harder to Trace Misinformation - French Party

ST PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Reports about UK Army's "information warfare" unit that allegedly can conduct "black" messaging campaigns, raise concerns that new technologies could make it very difficult to detect misinformation in the future, a spokesman for the Debout La France party told Sputnik.

"Technology develops so fast and even though these days it still cannot entirely camouflage manipulations with images and videos, within a few years it will be more and more difficult to identify… whether it is a true fact, or a total manipulation with it," Nicolas Dhuicq, a spokesman for the Debout La France (France Arise) party who is also a former member of the French National Assembly's defence committee, said on Thursday.

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Dhuicq's comments addressed an article published by the Wired magazine on November 14, titled "Inside the British Army's secret information warfare machine", which reported citing an information warfare officer, not affiliated with the 77th Brigade, that the unit, formally tasked with challenging "the difficulties of modern warfare" through "non-lethal engagement," could sometimes conduct "grey" and "black" messaging campaigns in special conflict situations when deemed necessary.

According to the magazine, in this case, the messaging can look like it came from another source, not the military, and does not necessarily have to tell the truth.

The 77th Brigade is a combined regular and army reserve unit responsible for using "legitimate non-military levers" as a means "to adopt behaviours of the opposing forces."

The views and opinions expressed by the speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.