CIVIX Explains: Disinformation

All false information is pollution.

But while some of it is like litter, some
is more like toxic waste.

It can contaminate the online environment
and poison society.

Disinformation is false or misleading information
that is spread to deliberately cause harm.

Disinformation can also be used to try to
create confusion about if it’s even possible

to know the truth at all.

Those who create and spread disinformation

wish to influence
the way others think and act.

Disinformation can be created by foreign governments,
domestic organizations, or groups of individuals.

It might be created to:

discredit a person or their message;
deepen social divisions by heightening conflict

between those with differing views;
reduce trust in in democratic institutions

such as media and government, as a way to
make citizens feel cynical or apathetic;

promote false conspiracy theories that question
the reality of true events;

or, influence the outcome of an election.

Disinformation can start on message boards
where individual ‘trolls’ spread false

rumours about people, events, and issues,
using social media.

Or it can be created in ‘troll factories,’
where people are paid to make up articles

that look like real news.

So how does this work?

Disinformation producers know how to manipulate
both our minds and technology to help spread

false and misleading information.

Disinformation is designed to target our emotions,
so we are more vulnerable to accepting it

and sharing it with others.

False stories and claims may also contain
elements of truth to make the whole thing

seem more believable.

Photos and memes can help spread disinformation
quickly, because people think less critically

about images than they do about words.

People can become targets of disinformation
because of who we are, or what we believe.

The internet allows messages to spread far
and fast, especially when you know how to

make content go viral.

On social media, computer algorithms decide
what users see in their feeds.

These algorithms display content that is popular.

Disinformation producers can artificially
boost the popularity of an idea is by using

bots — computer programs that post, like,
and share automatically.

Bot accounts can make it look like a lot of
people are talking about something when they

really aren’t.

The idea is to influence a conversation by
promoting certain ideas or criticizing others.

that posts to social media automatically.

Bots may look like human users, when in fact
they are fake accounts used to influence a

conversation by advancing or criticizing certain
ideas.

Once people see, share, and interact with
these fake posts, they will become popular

for real.

Disinformation that is amplified in this way
can attract the attention of legitimate news

organizations.

Journalists may report on the stories, spreading
them further — a win for the trolls.

There are many people out there who want to
influence the way you think, from politicians,

to advertisers, to friends and family.

It’s important to know that there are also
organized forces online who may want to mislead,

confuse, or persuade you — and their motives
may not be obvious.

So, what can you do about it?

A good first step is to evaluate your emotions.

Does a story or post make you feel outraged,
or excited to share it?

That’s a good time to stop and do a little
bit of research.

What is the reputation of the source?

Is the content true or misleading?

What do other sources say?

Stop and check, so you don’t get fooled.