Lawmakers from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have proposed amendments to the National Intelligence Services Act to define and combat cognitive warfare [1, 2].
The move represents a strategic effort to formalize the legal framework for identifying and neutralizing psychological operations designed to manipulate public perception. By establishing a clear legal definition, the government aims to create enforceable mechanisms to protect national security from foreign influence campaigns.
The proposed changes focus on the National Intelligence Services Act, which currently lacks a specific definition for cognitive warfare [1, 2]. The DPP lawmakers said the amendments are necessary to strengthen enforcement measures against such tactics. These measures are intended to clarify how the state identifies cognitive attacks and the specific tools available to counter them.
Cognitive warfare typically involves the use of disinformation and psychological manipulation to erode trust in institutions or shift public opinion. The DPP said the lack of a formal definition in current law creates gaps in the state's ability to respond effectively to these threats [1, 2].
The proposed amendments would provide the intelligence community with a standardized set of criteria to evaluate information operations. This legal clarity is intended to streamline the process of detecting and mitigating the effects of cognitive warfare before it can destabilize social cohesion, or political stability [1, 2].
Lawmakers said the goal is to bolster the resilience of the democratic process. The amendments seek to ensure that the intelligence services have the legal authority to act against coordinated efforts to mislead the public, while maintaining a framework for enforcement that aligns with national security requirements [1, 2].
“Lawmakers seek to amend the National Intelligence Services Act to define and combat cognitive warfare.”
This legislative push indicates that Taiwan is shifting its defense strategy from purely physical and cyber security toward the 'cognitive domain.' By codifying the definition of cognitive warfare, the government is attempting to bridge a legal gap that previously hindered the intelligence community's ability to proactively neutralize disinformation campaigns. This move signals an increasing urgency to protect the domestic information environment from foreign actors who use psychological manipulation as a tool of statecraft.
