RSIS at 30: Shaping policy and countering disinformation

SINGAPORE – In the wake of the 2016 United States presidential election, when the power of state-backed, algorithmically amplified disinformation campaigns started to become apparent, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) researchers saw this as an understudied area. The school convened its first workshop on the topic the following year , bringing together global experts from fields including sociology, psychology, communications and military strategy. Their conversations highlighted the need for a multi-pronged approach to combat disinformation as countries, including the US, grappled with ways to deal with the new threat. When Singapore decided it needed a new law to…