Disinformation

The rise of the internet and online social networks has altered the scope and scale at which people access, consume, and communicate information. But the same technologies that have democratized access to information have also enabled malicious actors who seek to undermine our democratic values and processes. Disinformation is false or misleading information spread with the intention to deceive. It’s distinct from misinformation, which is the unintentional spread of false information. When left unchecked, disinformation has the potential to sow confusion in public dialogue, exacerbate political polarization, and promote distrust in our political systems and democratic institutions.

Content

UkraineAlert

Mar 23, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine War can end in only two ways: Genocide or defeat

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he regards Ukrainians as Russians and does not recognize Ukraine's right to exist. Unless he is defeated, his Ukraine invasion may deteriorate into a genocide in the heart of Europe.

Conflict Disinformation
Russian State Duma member Sergey Leonov speaks at a press conference in Moscow, March 22, 2022. (Source: DumaTV)

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2022

Russian War Report: Russian Duma members falsely claim Ukraine is creating ethnicity-targeting bioweapons

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Members of the Russian Duma accused Ukraine and the US of creating bioweapons and researching "regional infections aimed at Russian regions."

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 21, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s criminal war has killed the myth of Russian-Ukrainian unity

By Alexander Khrebet

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was meant to secure Vladimir Putin’s place in history and reunify what Moscow views as the divided lands of historic Russia. Instead, it has killed the myth of Russian-Ukrainian unity.

Conflict Disinformation
Instagram logo displayed on a phone screen and Russian flag displayed on a screen in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on March 14, 2022 (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE

New Atlanticist

Mar 21, 2022

Russian War Report: Meta officially declared “extremist organization” in Russia

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russia labeled Meta an "extremist organization," VKontakte got hacked, railways were sabotaged, and the Kremlin put on a concert to support the "military operation."

Belarus Conflict

The 5×5

Mar 21, 2022

The 5×5—Russia’s cyber statecraft

By Simon Handler

Five experts share their perspectives on what recent cyber developments related to Russia's war in Ukraine indicate about Russian cyber behavior.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 19, 2022

Putin drank the Kremlin Kool-Aid

By Taras Kuzio

Russian President Vladimir Putin drank the Kremlin Kool-Aid and seems to have sincerely believed his disastrous Ukraine war would be an imperial triumph with minimal costs on the domestic and international fronts.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Mar 18, 2022

Brooks on Real Time with Bill Maher on US cybersecurity

By Atlantic Council

Max Brooks discusses US cybersecurity and Russian gray zone operations on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Cybersecurity Disinformation
Servicemen of the military forces of South Ossetia attend an oath of allegiance ceremony in Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, Georgia, July 5, 2015.

New Atlanticist

Mar 18, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia sends military contractors from Georgian breakaway region to Ukraine

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Military contractors from South Ossetia, Belarus' hesitancy to send troops, VPN's, the dilemma US tech companies face over Russian citizens' access, and more.

Belarus China

UkraineAlert

Mar 18, 2022

Why Russia’s anti-war movement matters

By Dylan Myles-Primakoff

While opinion polls consistently indicate strong Russian public support for Putin's Ukraine War, the country's anti-war movement also matters and may actually be larger than it at first appears.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 17, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s war to crush Ukraine is part of a long Kremlin tradition

By Kristina Hook

Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has stunned the world with its criminal brutality but the Russian invasion is actually very much in line with a long tradition of Kremlin policies aimed at crushing Ukraine.

Conflict Disinformation

Experts