What disinformation means
Launch library · evergreen read
Disinformation is false information that is created or spread with the deliberate intent to deceive, distinguishing it from misinformation, which can be shared innocently by people who simply believe it is true. The intent behind disinformation is what makes it a distinct and considerably more calculated problem to address effectively.
Campaigns of disinformation often combine a plausible sounding claim with a network of accounts or outlets designed to make the claim look more widely believed than it actually is, a tactic sometimes reinforced through repetition across many small, seemingly unconnected sources spread across entirely different platforms and communities.
Because disinformation is designed to look credible, spotting it usually requires checking the underlying source rather than judging the claim on its surface alone. Asking who benefits from a story being believed is often as revealing as asking whether the story itself is accurate in the first place at all, before it spreads any further.