Europe Risks Losing Strategic Battle for Greenland

Greenland’s Vulnerability to Disinformation Raises Security Concerns

“It’s no more combatting Russian trolls trying to hack the system. If pointed at the EU and Greenland, the disinformation campaigns on U.S. platforms become the system,” warned an expert on digital security threats facing the Arctic region.

This concern reflects growing anxiety about the vulnerability of Greenland to targeted misinformation campaigns, particularly given its strategic importance and unique social dynamics.

The relationship between Denmark and Greenland presents a particularly fertile ground for exploitation, according to Signe Ravn-Højgaard, co-founder and CEO of the Denmark-based Digital Infrastructure Think Tank. Her organization recently conducted an extensive analysis of Greenland’s misinformation landscape, revealing concerning vulnerabilities.

With a population comparable to a single Brussels municipality—approximately 56,000 people—Greenland’s small community structure creates ideal conditions for rapid information spread. The territory has few media outlets capable of fact-checking or debunking false information, and most residents rely heavily on Facebook as their primary information source.

“It’s completely different from how it is in Denmark,” Ravn-Højgaard explained. In larger countries, misinformation might reach thousands without threatening national stability. But in Greenland’s context, “that would firstly, quickly spread to everyone, and secondly, it’s a large percentage of the population,” creating outsized impacts on public opinion and governance.

This vulnerability has gained attention as Greenland’s strategic importance grows. The territory holds valuable mineral resources, including rare earth elements crucial for modern technology. Its location also offers significant geopolitical advantages in the increasingly contested Arctic region, drawing interest from global powers including the United States, China, and Russia.

While researchers interviewed by POLITICO indicate that organized foreign interference campaigns haven’t yet materialized in Greenland, misinformation is already spreading through social networks. The concern has reached the highest levels of government, with Greenlandic ministers publicly addressing the issue.

Fisheries Minister Peter Borg and Labour Minister Aqqaluaq Egede recently made public pleas urging citizens to “stand in unity” on social media against perceived threats from the United States. Their statements highlight growing tensions and the potential for misinformation to strain international relationships critical to Greenland’s security and development.

The territory’s unique constitutional position—an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark with its own parliament and government—adds complexity to the situation. While Denmark handles defense and foreign affairs, Greenlandic authorities maintain significant control over internal matters and resource development. This division of responsibilities creates potential seams that misinformation campaigns could exploit.

Security experts point to several factors that make small, strategically located territories like Greenland particularly vulnerable to information operations. Limited media resources for fact-checking, close-knit social networks that rapidly spread information, language barriers that can isolate communities from external information sources, and growing geopolitical significance all contribute to the risk.

Digital literacy initiatives have begun addressing these challenges, but face substantial hurdles in remote communities with limited connectivity. Traditional media outlets in Greenland are working to strengthen their capabilities, though resource constraints remain significant.

The situation in Greenland serves as a case study for similar vulnerabilities in other small territories of strategic importance. As global powers increasingly compete for influence in the Arctic, the information domain represents a battleground where relatively small investments in disinformation could yield significant strategic advantages.

“What happens in Greenland doesn’t stay in Greenland,” noted one security analyst. “Misinformation campaigns targeting these communities can have ripple effects through NATO, the EU, and beyond, potentially influencing resource access, shipping routes, and military positioning in the High North.”

As Arctic security concerns grow, monitoring information integrity in Greenland may prove as important as tracking physical security developments in this increasingly contested region.