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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Miranda Bryant

Sweden returns to cold war tactics to battle fake news

Swedish flag
Social media has made it easier for voters to be influenced, say officials from Sweden’s revived agency. Photograph: Jeppe Gustafsson/Rex/Shutterstock

A top official from Sweden’s new “psychological defence” agency said the country had decided to bring back the cold war-era government body amid fears over Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Magnus Hjort, deputy director of the agency, which was re-established last month to combat foreign disinformation, said concerns were especially heightened ahead of Sweden’s general election in September, against the backdrop of Europe’s “deteriorating security situation”.

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