The United States has instructed all its embassies and consulates worldwide to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda, endorsing Elon Musk's social media platform X as an 'innovative' tool for the effort. A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, obtained by the Guardian, outlines the directive.
The cable specifically highlights X's Community Notes feature as a 'crowdsourced' instrument to combat disinformation, claiming it can help 'counter anti-American propaganda operations without compromising free speech or privacy'. It also suggests embassies work alongside the US military's psychological operations unit to address rampant disinformation.
This move comes amid ongoing US tensions with Iran, which operates a sophisticated state disinformation apparatus, and as Russian and Chinese influence operations target American allies in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The cable lays out sweeping instructions for embassy staff to push back against coordinated foreign efforts to undermine US interests abroad.
