DISINFO: NATO funded research on how to hack our brains
SUMMARY
NATO recently funded a study on the so-called cognitive warfare, whose purpose is to hack the brain to turn itr into a propaganda weapon, targeting your mind. Their goal is not only to change what we think, but how we think and how we receive and process the information, how we act. According to the author, the main focus is not enemy soldiers and top officials, bu the entirety of the human population of a nation. Any user of modern information technologies is a potential target. The idea of turning citizens into weapons for NATO’s interests is present throughout all the document.
RESPONSE
Manipulation: the claim is a gross distortion of the original document. First, it is merely a theoretical essay on the concept of cognitive warfare. Second, the document clearly states that “the views and opinions expressed strictly reflect the discussions held on the Innovation Hub forums” but not those of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, the sponsor of the study, or its member nations (page 3). Third, the study approach is defensive, as it states that “NATO’s adversaries are already investing heavily in these new technologies” (p. 4), with specific mentions of China and Russia (p. 26, pp. 38-42). The author concludes that “NATO needs to anticipate advances in these technologies by raising the awareness of the true potential of CW [cognitive warfare]” (p. 4), as “failing to thwart the cognitive efforts of NATO’s opponents would condemn Western liberal societies to lose the next war without a fight” (p. 36). Contrary to the claim of this disinformation story, in no way does the study suggest that NATO may be interested in “turning citizens into weapons for its interests”. Disinformation narratives against NATO are a recurring feature of pro-Kremlin outlets.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as baseless allegations about NATO's obsolescence, cannibalistic character, fascistic tendencies and links to white supremacist ideology, claims that NATO became a US armed wing ensuring control of energy resources, or the affirmation that NATO's anti-Russian stance is the only unifying force among its members.