Disinformation

Definition

Disinformation is

• "false and irrelevant information made available to deceive.
• "false information deliberately spread to gain some advantage."
• "intentionally false [information], intending to deceive the recipient.

Overview

It may include the distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or spreading malicious rumors and fabricated intelligence. "Disinformation differs fundamentally from misinformation — unintentional errors which occur when facts are unclear and deadline pressures are urgent — in its clearly misleading and propagandistic purposes."

"In the international security context, governments and foreign actors seek to use disinformation to their advantage. Examples of disinformation include covertly planting deliberately false news stories in the media, or altering private and/or classified communications before their widespread public release. Coordinated disinformation campaigns often seek to exploit existing fissures within certain demographics, causing further political polarization and the erosion of trust in public institutions. These campaigns may cause decision paralysis, where decisionmakers are overwhelmed with contradictory or otherwise unreliable information. Some disinformation may be easily detected and discredited, such as fraudulent accounts or suspicious news media websites that may be full of typographical errors. Some viral videos and images give the appearance of documentation, but in reality have been computer-generated or altered in a way that is virtually undetectable to the naked eye. These "deep fakes" are an example of disinformation that is increasingly ubiquitous and particularly difficult to combat. Psychological phenomenon such as confirmation bias, defined as the tendency of individuals to interpret new information as confirmation of their existing beliefs, may render attempts to discredit sources of disinformation ineffectual. Disinformation may continue to spread throughout cyberspace even after it has been exposed as false.

Applications

In espionage or military intelligence, disinformation is the deliberate spreading of false information to mislead an enemy as to one's position or course of action. In politics, disinformation is the deliberate attempt to deflect voter support of an opponent, disseminating false statements or innuendo based on the candidates vulnerabilities as revealed by opposition research. In both cases, it also includes the distortion of true information in such a way as to render it useless or harmful.

Disinformation techniques may also be found in commerce and government, where it can be used to try to undermine the position of a competitor. It is an act of deception and blatant false statements to convince someone of an untruth.

See also

• Communications deception
• Misinformation