https://bit.ly/3Mh2xmI - 🔍 "Perception management", a strategy for influencing foreign opinions, has been reborn in the Pentagon's new Influence and Perception Management Office (IPMO). Initiated during the Reagan era, the tactic came under scrutiny for its potential to spread disinformation, including to domestic audiences. Today, the IPMO seeks to counter foreign disinformation, but its operations remain largely shrouded in secrecy. #PerceptionManagement #IPMO #NationalSecurity 💼 The office's responsibilities involve coordinating military counter-disinformation efforts and could include U.S. propaganda abroad. Its strategies aim to influence foreign leaders' decisions to benefit U.S. interests. The IPMO's acting director, James Holly, brings an extensive intelligence background to the role, strengthening its covert operations. #JamesHolly #USPropaganda #CounterDisinformation 📡 Despite its significant role, the Pentagon never publicly announced the IPMO's establishment. Budget documents reveal the office was created as a response to the shifting geopolitical environment, from counterterrorism to great power competition. The budget, however, doesn't specify the office's funding. #Pentagon #GeopoliticalShift #GreatPowerCompetition 🔏 Perception management isn't just about countering foreign propaganda, but also about advancing the U.S.'s own narrative. Critics of perception management worry about its potential misuse to manipulate U.S. citizens into supporting government policies. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, passed in 2012, now allows such communication to be circulated domestically. #PerceptionManagement #SmithMundtAct 🌐 As the global war on terror winds down, the Pentagon is focusing on great power adversaries like Russia and China. In response to increasing disinformation campaigns, offices tasked with combating disinformation have sprung up across the U.S. government. The Pentagon's IPMO distinguishes itself with its level of secrecy and highly classified work. #Pentagon #Disinformation #GlobalPolitics 💻 The IPMO's strategic position within the Pentagon hierarchy indicates its work extends beyond messaging to intelligence. Fast detection and counteraction of disinformation are critical in today's digital age. Yet, the Defense Department has not responded to requests for comment on its counter-disinformation efforts.
