1. What is disinformation?
Disinformation is both a doctrine and a practice employed by states or non-state actors to deliberately use manipulated or falsified information to induce a desired change in a specific group of recipients in the targeted field of influence. It is often used as part of propaganda operations that utilize techniques of influence and psychological manipulation during times of peace, crisis, and war in order to harm the targeted audience.
2. What is international disinformation?
International disinformation refers to the deliberate use of disinformation techniques and tools by states or other participants in international relations as a means of influence in foreign policy or other international activities during times of war and peace. Its goal is to manipulate the recipient of the information and improve the sender’s situation. Disinformation activities are usually targeted at foreign societies or large groups within them.
3. Is disinformation a product of the 20th century?
Although the concept itself was developed in the Soviet Union in the 20th century, the phenomenon is as old as human history. As a tool of war and politics, disinformation has been used since ancient times and is referenced in historical writings and the oldest treatises on strategy.
4. Is disinformation a threat?
Disinformation damages social trust and undermines the values, institutions, and political processes of democratic nations. It erodes the foundations of good governance and limits the ability of people to make rational decisions, which rely on the provision of truthful and credible information.
5. Is disinformation always based on false information?
It can use both fabricated false information and manipulated information that contains elements of truth and falsehood. The intention of pure disinformation is to mislead the recipient, regardless of the tool used or the content of the message.
6. Are disinformation and propaganda different names for the same phenomenon?
Although propaganda and disinformation are similar in that they both use information messages, they are different instruments of state policy.
7. What is fake news?
Fake news is a type of disinformation that involves the dissemination of fabricated or partially true information in a manner that imitates reliable information. This can take many forms, including distorted text, images, sound, or videos, and can even include the creation of deep fakes featuring public figures.
8. Where does disinformation most often occur?
Disinformation can be disseminated through various means, including direct communication between people, traditional media, and modern internet platforms and social media. With the advancement of digital technologies, internet-based media has become a particularly frequent carrier of disinformation in recent years.
9. What forms can disinformation manifest in?
Disinformation can take many forms, including falsehoods hidden in forms that reduce the recipient’s vigilance. One form is satire and parody, used to discredit authorities or distract the recipient. Others include false content from a seemingly credible source, false texts related to true information, false relationships conveyed by texts or images with distracting titles and comments, or myths based on repeated messages that contain information not supported by evidence.
10. How do I protect myself from disinformation?
It is important to verify both the content and the source of information before accepting it as true. One should not react impulsively based on emotions or blindly share unverified information on social media. It is advisable to seek out reliable sources of information and engage in discussion with others to compare and contrast different perspectives.