Information influence and elections

In today’s digital information environment, there are constant attempts to influence us, including in our political choices. Actors with different agendas attempt to sway our perceptions by manipulating information to influence how we vote. If they succeed, they also influence who will hold the power to make decisions.

Malign information influence by antagonistic foreign powers and other foreign actors

Malign information influence is when antagonistic foreign powers or other foreign actors attempt to detrimentally influence, disrupt or steer public discourse in Sweden. For something to be identified as malign information influence, the following criteria must be met:

• The information is deliberately misleading
• The information is intended to disrupt public debate
• The information disrupts and weakens society

Foreign powers and non-state actors

Threat actors that engage in information influence can both be foreign powers or non-state actors. While threat actors engage in purposeful malign information influence, they can also opportunistically exploit situations that arise and adapt to what best serves their purposes at a particular point in time.

How does this work?

In connection with an election, the risk of malign information influence from foreign powers and non-state actors increases. They want to manipulate the flow of information to sway how people vote, for example by spreading misleading or manipulated information. Such information is often disseminated over social media. For example, false claims or fake news aimed at swaying public opinion to disrupt the electoral process. Sometimes threat actors can also spread actual occurrences, but with the information exaggerated in order to mislead. This makes it more difficult to judge whether the disseminated information is true or not.

In connection with elections, it is also becoming increasingly common for threat actors to disseminate AI-generated misleading information. In recent years it has become significantly easier to target and tailor information to specific groups, and the technical threshold for engaging in information influence has been lowered. Today, there are many different AI tools that can create lifelike images, videos and voice recordings.

Why might actors wish to sway our elections?

There are many reasons why threat actors attempt to sway an election. It may be a case of attempting to steer the outcome to the benefit of a particular actor’s agenda. The intention may also be to damage trust in election candidates, the electoral process or democratic society. If confidence in the electoral process and democracy is damaged, this could result in lower voter turnout. Another objective for a threat actor may be to undermine public confidence in the new government, or to sway public opinion on a certain issue.

How are elections protected?

To protect Sweden against election interference, the Psychological Defence Agency works to raise awareness of how malign information influence is spread and how individuals and organisations can resist and detect such attempts. The Agency holds informative talks and courses on information influence and elections for public-sector and civil-society organisations.