We defend and safeguard our open and democratic society and the free formation of opinion.
On 13 September, parliamentary, regional and municipal council elections will be held in Sweden. The Government, the Psychological Defence Agency and many other Swedish authorities are engaged in an extensive effort to protect the general elections from malign information influence.
A new report shows that Russia’s colonial history has long been overlooked, with significant consequences for how today’s conflicts are understood. The authors are now calling for a new perspective on Russia as part of Europe’s shared colonial legacy.
The Swedish Psychological Defence Agency (MPF) is launching a new information page ahead of this year’s elections. It includes general information, in-depth articles, and a current situational overview.
The Capability Platform – our digital knowledge-enhancement resource – has become an appreciated tool for authorities, municipalities and regions. The portal is now also available in English, making it available to more actors and strengthening the agency’s international cooperation.
MPF:s contingency website is used when the main website, mpf.se, is not available. The purpose is to ensure that the agency can reach the public with important information even during incidents, system overloads, or technical disruptions.
Generative AI has rapidly changed how information is created and disseminated. The technology has created new opportunities for actors intent on misleading, manipulating or undermining confidence in democratic processes and elections.
Each day, we are faced with information from different sources. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if we can trust what we are reading and listening to. Source criticism will help you to determine what is credible and how you can evaluate what you are reading, seeing and hearing.
Democracy is a system in which power is derived from the people and citizens are able to influence decisions through free and fair elections. What does that actually mean, though, and how can a strong democracy protect us from malign information influence?
The Agency’s main mission is to coordinate, develop and strengthen Sweden’s psychological defence. We do so by increasing the resilience of the population in Sweden and society at large, and also by preventing and detecting threats directed at Sweden.
Resilience is our shared ability to deal with crises and threats to society. At a time of rapid information dissemination, ability to resist misleading information influence is important. Foreign powers use information to influence us, and counteracting it requires both critical thinking and a strong society.
Psychological defence is society’s common capabilities for identifying and resisting malign information influence directed at Sweden by antagonistic foreign powers or other external threat actors.
We are all a part of psychological defence – agencies, municipalities, regions, civil society, businesses, the cultural sector and everyone living in Sweden. Our collective resilience against disinformation, misleading information and propaganda will prevent or pre-empt antagonists from influencing our decisions, perceptions or behaviour. During peacetime and in a heightened state of alert or war alike, psychological defence shall ensure Sweden’s freedom and independence, an open and democratic society with freedom of opinion and free media.
Strong psychological defence rests on three pillars:
The agency leads efforts to coordinate, develop and strengthen Sweden’s psychological defence. In order to strengthen our psychological defence and capabilities for resisting external influences, we inform and support the population of Sweden, as well as agencies, municipalities, regions, the business sector, civil society and other organisations. We do so through training, exercises, information initiatives and developing knowledge.
An important part of our work is also preventing, detecting, analysing and counteracting malign information influence and other misleading information that can pose a threat to the people of Sweden.
Malign information influence is when antagonistic foreign powers or other external threat actors attempt to detrimentally influence, disrupt or steer public discourse in Sweden. Means of information influence include disinformation, misleading information and propaganda.
For something to be identified as malign information influence, the following criteria must be met:
The information influence is deliberately misleading. Reliable communication is open and transparent, and its content is credible and verifiable.
The information influence aims to undermine constructive dialogue and open debate. Reliable communication is to contribute to and strengthen constructive debate, even if the content or arguments might be controversial in themselves.
The information influence disrupts and weakens the functioning of society and our democratic discourse. Reliable communication is a natural part of our society which, although it can of course sometimes cause friction, bolsters our democracy.
The traditional picture of warfare has been erased. Today, there are other means for wielding great harm on our society and our democracy that do not have to involve armed attacks. Malign information influence is a security threat whereby antagonistic foreign powers exploit society’s vulnerabilities to achieve their objectives without having to resort to weapons. Instead, means are used such as disinformation, misleading information and propaganda to harm Sweden.
Information influence can exploit society’s vulnerabilities and challenge society’s functionality, our fundamental values such as democracy, rule of law and human rights and – ultimately – life and health.
The Psychological Defence Agency works with a long-term and preventive approach by providing training and exercises, conducting research and engaging in international cooperation. We study and develop methods, and disseminate knowledge. We identify and analyse attempts at malign information influence and stand prepared to act swiftly when needed. We also cooperate with other agencies and actors in Sweden – both preventively and operationally.
You are a part of Sweden’s psychological defence. If you are able recognise and deal with disinformation, misleading information and propaganda, it will be more difficult for antagonistic foreign powers to cause division. This in turn helps protect Sweden and Swedish interests. The harder it is to fool you, the stronger our open, democratic society will be.