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

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

In the News: Sara-Jayne Terp’s quest to quash misinformation

By Atlantic Council

"She's also cautiously optimistic about the strength of the network that's under assault. On her road trip, Terp says, the more she drove, the more hopeful she became. ­People were proud of their cities, loved their communities. She saw that when people have something concrete to fight for, they are less prone to end up in phantom battles against illusory enemies. “You have to involve ­people in their own solution,” she says. By creating a world where misinformation makes more sense, Terp hopes more people will be able to reject it."

Coronavirus Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Oct 20, 2020

Battle for borshch: Ukraine lays claim to soup dish amid identity war with Russia

By Mark Raczkiewycz

Popular soup dish borshch has recently emerged as the latest battleground in Ukraine’s struggle to assert an independent national identity and shake off centuries of Russian imperial domination.

Conflict Disinformation
AlertaVenezuela email banner

#AlertaVenezuela

Oct 20, 2020

#AlertaVenezuela: October 20, 2020

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Videos reporting on Venezuela and posted by Colombian YouTube channel Noticias Mundiales Al Día outperformed videos and channels on social media.

Disinformation Venezuela
Belarus Police Brutality

Article

Oct 19, 2020

Belarus Interior Ministry exaggerates protester violence to justify excessive force

By Nika Aleksejeva

Two months after the contested presidential election, law enforcement has returned to using disproportionate violence against protesters.

Belarus Disinformation
False Religious Conflict in Belarus

Article

Oct 15, 2020

Kremlin creates illusion of a religious clash between Belarus Orthodox and Catholics

By Nika Aleksejeva

Open source evidence shows overall solidarity among religious groups in Belarus despite Kremlin attempt to foment conflict between Orthodox and Catholics.

Belarus Disinformation

NATO 20/2020

Oct 14, 2020

Build an Atlantic-Pacific Partnership

By James Hildebrand, Harry W.S. Lee, Fumika Mizuno, Miyeon Oh, and Monica Michiko Sato

NATO is the only institution capable of organizing transatlantic and transpacific stakeholders to address China’s political, military, and information threats.

China Defense Policy
AlertaVenezuela email banner

#AlertaVenezuela

Oct 14, 2020

#AlertaVenezuela: October 14, 2020

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Nicolás Maduro claimed anew that Colombian President Iván Duque had prepared for and will oversee incursion into Venezuela.

Disinformation Venezuela

New Atlanticist

Oct 7, 2020

The 5×5—Cybersecurity and the 117th Congress

By Simon Handler

Approximately eighty congressional committees and subcommittees claim jurisdiction over at least some dimension of cybersecurity policy. As the agenda for the coming years is only getting more crowded, Congress must improve its agility in order to pass meaningful cybersecurity legislation effectively.

Cybersecurity Disinformation
Czech Flashbang grenade

Article

Oct 6, 2020

Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

By Lukas Andriukaitis

Open-source clues on Czech arms company potentially supplying stun grenades to Lukashenka’s regime in violation of EU embargo.

Belarus Central Europe
AlertaVenezuela email banner

#AlertaVenezuela

Oct 6, 2020

#AlertaVenezuela: October 6, 2020

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Heraldo Venezolano, a news aggregating website originally registered in the United States, garnered the most engagement on Facebook on reports of the Maduro regime’s receipt of a shipment of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine on October 2, 2020.

Disinformation Venezuela

Experts