The UK government is establishing a National Centre for Information Defence to combat disinformation and deepfakes emanating from hostile states, particularly Russia. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the initiative at the UN, stating that the centre will work with intelligence agencies, law enforcement and social media companies to "detect, attribute and disrupt" information attacks enabled by artificial intelligence, building national resilience against what he called an "insidious campaign" that undermines public confidence in Britain.

Burnham highlighted that Russia spends approximately £1.3 billion annually on information manipulation, including the use of bots, fake websites and falsified articles. Russian agencies have forged the branding of 28 British organisations including universities and the BBC, amplified far-right narratives, and are suspected of attempting to interfere with the 2019 general election. The Prime Minister noted that individuals struggling with cost-of-living pressures and young people outside education or employment may be particularly vulnerable to foreign disinformation campaigns. The announcement follows criticism from Donald Trump, who suggested UK rhetoric towards Moscow had been "too tough", though Downing Street rejected this assessment and reaffirmed Britain's commitment to Ukraine and allied solidarity.