France steps up fight against disinformation as US pulls back

The Trump administration has dismantled a number of US government defenses against foreign disinformation campaigns.

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But the French government has been doubling down on its efforts to call out foreign propaganda efforts.

Some American conservatives believed the Biden administration tried to undermine, or even silence, Republican voices by falsely labeling conservative arguments as being pushed by Russia or another foreign power.

French officials said governments can call out malign influence campaigns at the same time as they protect speech, and they are trying to make the case with the public.

"Fighting disinformation is a topic that we've invested a lot in recent years," said Eléonore Caroit, a senior official in the French Foreign Ministry, whose responsibilities include overseeing international partnerships and working on the disinformation issue. "It has become clear now that this is one of the major threats that we're facing in terms of national security sovereignty."