Sweden is launching a new agency to defend against a rising threat: disinformation — organized campaigns to spread false information.

The Scandinavian country, home to about 10 million people, established the Swedish Psychological Defense Agency on Jan. 1, in a bid to safeguard its “democratic society” and “the free formation of opinion,” the agency said on its website. As the country heads into elections this year, the agency will work alongside the Swedish military and government on the new battleground of fake news and misinformation.

“The security situation in our near European environment has deteriorated for some time now and therefore we need to rebuild our total defence,” Magnus Hjort, the agency’s deputy director, told The Washington Post by email.

The agency will aim to boost the country’s “ability to identify and counter foreign malign information influence, disinformation and other dissemination of misleading information directed at Sweden,” Hjort said.

The agency will not battle those spreading false information within Sweden, instead aiming “its sole focus on foreign threat actors,” Hjort said. “Russia and China often resort to information influence activities, but we can also see new actors engaging in these activities.”

The government-funded body, which will start with 45 staff members based in Karlstad and Solna, will report to the country’s justice department.

The idea for the agency was first developed in 2018, and it is being led by Director General Henrik Landerholm, a former army officer and ambassador to the Middle East.

Disinformation, particularly around elections, has been a major threat around the world. Russia launched a far-reaching campaign to influence t