Disinformation is when people spread false information with an intent to deceive. Learn more about disinformation, and some examples in this article.
For as long as we’ve been able to tell each other the truth, it’s occurred to us that maybe we shouldn’t. Lying is as old as civilisation, which means that disinformation isn’t just a phenomenon of the 21st century.
But since it’s never been faster or easier to broadcast false information to millions, we see more disinformation on a daily basis than ever before.
What does disinformation mean?
Disinformation is defined as a deliberate activity in which people create ‘strategic deceptions that may appear very credible to those consuming them’ via ‘intended falsehoods spreading as news stories or simulated documentary formats to advance political goals’.
Put in simple terms: disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. Good disinformation has:
- A goal
- A target
- A piece of information
- A distribution method
An example of disinformation
You’re going to a party to meet up with a person you like, but you have a rival for that person’s affection. You know that the party starts at 8pm. So, to give yourself the best chance against your rival, you send them a DM on Facebook that the party starts at 10pm.
In our example, the disinformation is that the party starts at 10pm. Let’s break down the rest:
- The goal: Meet up with the person you like
- The target: Your rival
- The piece of information: The party start time
- The distribution method: Facebook DM
Historically, disinformation has been a powerful tool of espionage and global power politics. For years, countries have had an interest in spreading fake information to rival nations. The Soviet Union and the United States’ activities during the Cold War are a great example of this.
Today, this activity is most commonly seen on social media, distributed by groups and bots to influence people’s opinions. Disinformation disseminators know how to manipulate social media algorithms – “playing the system” to reach as many people as possible.
What types of disinformation are there?
There are 4 types of disinformation commonly seen on social media:
- Content that’s taken out of context
- Manipulated content
- Invented content
- Satire and parody
Content that’s taken out of context
In this type of disinformation, something true is presented in a different context. For example, a study shows that 60% of people don’t like cake. It’s a sad fact, but let’s say it’s a fact. Then, we put that fact into a new context:
60% of people don’t like cake! Birthday parties are now under threat.
Nothing in our example study says anything about birthday parties, but we can use the facts to support our anti-birthday-party narrative.
Manipulated content
This form of disinformation is better known today as a ‘deep fake’. Text, audio recordings, photos, or video are manipulated to make you think that something real happened. You’ll find deep fakes most often in political disinformation – like the Maia Sandu Deep Fake we posted about on our channel.
Invented content
When disinformation disseminators can’t find something to manipulate, they can just lie. Spreading lies about events, film reviews, and politics is common practice online. Some refer to it as ‘fake news’ – opinions or announcements that cast ideas or people in a negative light.
Satire and parody
This type of content refers to real people, but represents them in a way that’s exaggerated and unrealistic. Historically, satire and parody are created with malicious intent, so it could be seen as a type of disinformation. Today’s satire is memes. Memes often paint famous people in unflattering light.
Why is disinformation everywhere?
Disinformation isn’t everywhere, it just feels like it. If you spend a lot of your time on social media, you’re more likely to encounter disinformation. It feels like it’s everywhere because of how shareable it is.
Disinformation disseminators commonly target a specific group of people. A study from the 2016 US Presidential election found that disinformation was ‘concentrated among a tiny group of users’. But over time, that small target audience begins to believe the disinformation and recirculate it as their personal views.
So, if you move away from a targeted group, you’ll see less disinformation. You’d be amazed at how quickly your social feed changes when you leave groups, unfriend people, or unfollow hashtags.
How does disinformation work?
Disinformation spreads in two phases: seeding and echoing.
Seeding is when disinformation disseminators plant a piece of content that disguises lies as legitimate conversations or trusted information. Where they plant it depends on who they want to reach.
The ‘echoing’ stage is where disinformation reaches its widest audience. Studies show that disseminators use common tactics to amplify their message.
Echoing represents how disinformation circulates in echo chambers. Communities share the disinformation, adding false narratives, selective truths, value judgments, and other comments on the original content to amplify the message.
5 ways disinformation spreads
- Deception: Disseminators intentionally insert or feed strategic deceptions onto social media.
Birthday parties are under threat - Obfuscation: Masquerading disinformation by making it appear legitimate (e.g., fake news).
“Study finds that birthday parties are under threat.”
– Real News Media Corp - Controversy: Co-opt pre-existing controversies and “us versus them” narratives.
Cake-loving elites hide the truth about birthday parties - Argumentation: Redefine what constitutes knowledge within the echo chamber.
Don’t believe the science. Hear from REAL people and their birthday party horror stories - Identity work: Encourage people to take sides in a debate that never ends.
Are YOU planning a birthday party? Let us know in the comments
Why does disinformation work?
Disinformation works best when it confirms things we already suspect. People believe what they want to believe, so we tend to avoid cognitive dissonance (anything that challenges our beliefs). Information that suits our world view, and thus, our social identity, is more attractive than information that doesn’t – even if that information is false.
In this way, it could be argued that a single piece of disinformation isn’t very good at changing people’s minds. If you believe one thing, you’re more likely to be critical of challenges to it. But for issues that we’re not sure about, or when disinformation appears to confirm our beliefs, it’s generally more effective.
New technical possibilities make it easy for disinformation to masquerade as a trusted and truthful piece of content. Plus, creating deep fakes and fake news channels has never been simpler. These two factors make disinformation more effective and more numerous.
And the sheer volume of information we consume (as much as 11.8hrs of info per day!) means that we’re less likely to spend the time verifying the things we see online. We often assume – without checking – that sources are reliable.
How can I protect myself against disinformation?
What you think about an issue and how that issue affects you emotionally is a personal choice. As a result, you are your own best defence against disinformation. Limiting your time on social media can help, but ultimately, challenging ideas is the best way to protect yourself from disinformation.
- Learn to be a better critical thinker so you don’t always take things at face value.
- Fact check claims that are made – particularly data and statistics.
- Try and verify a story by looking for it on a variety of channels.
- Flag disinformation on social media to reduce its spread.
- Find trusted sources that verify stories, like:
Don’t let disinformation dictate your thinking
Conspiracy theories, deep fakes, and scams are common features of our online experience. To help you understand what’s true and what’s not, we’re sharing handy tips for spotting disinformation and highlighting fake news when we find it. Follow us on social media to stay informed.
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