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.

Recent analysis

Wanted: A code of ethics for open source researchers

UkraineAlert
Feb 19, 2026

As Russian battlefield losses mount, Putin is turning to Africa for soldiers

By
Katherine Spencer

Russia’s growing reliance on African recruits to continue the war in Ukraine is a powerful symbol of an invasion that has gone horribly wrong for Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, writes Katherine Spencer.

Africa
Conflict

Wanted: A code of ethics for open source researchers

Dispatches
Feb 17, 2026

Weaponizing the odds: Prediction markets as a new vector for foreign influence

By
Matthew Wein

As these markets proliferate, policymakers should treat them as dual-use infrastructures that require deliberate guardrails.

Disinformation
Economy & Business

Wanted: A code of ethics for open source researchers

Russia Tomorrow
Dec 19, 2025

Narrating the war: Analyzing Russia’s narratives for its invasion of Ukraine

By
Casey Michel

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series examines the Kremlin’s narratives about its invasion of Ukraine.

Disinformation
Europe & Eurasia

Programs

The Atlantic Council Technology Programs comprises five existing efforts—the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), the GeoTech Center, the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the Democracy + Tech Initiative, and the Capacity Building Initiative. These operations work together to address the geopolitical implications of technology and provide policymakers and global stakeholders necessary research, insights, and convenings to address challenges around global technology and ensure its responsible advancement.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

Wanted: A code of ethics for open source researchers

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As more and more actors start to work with open source information there is an urgent need for a code of ethics to guide decision-making on what tools are used and when, speakers told an audience at the Atlantic Council’s 360/OS conference in London on June 20.

Disinformation
Chris Murphy

Program Impact Story

Jun 13, 2019

Democratic Defense Against Disinformation 2.0

By Atlantic Council

On June 13, the Eurasia Center hosted a public event on Capitol Hill for the launch of the report, Democratic Defense Against Disinformation 2.0. The second edition of Democratic Defense Against Disinformation takes stock of how governments, multinational institutions, civil-society groups, and the private sector have responded to the challenge of disinformation. The report provides […]

Disinformation Europe & Eurasia

Report

Jun 13, 2019

Democratic defense against disinformation 2.0

By Alina Polyakova, Daniel Fried

As the speed and efficiency of influence operations increase, democratic societies need to further invest in resilience and resistance to win the new information war. Democratic Defense Against Disinformation 2.0 is a report card on efforts and a roadmap for policymakers and social media companies.

Disinformation Europe & Eurasia

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2019

Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

By Peter Dickinson

It would be unfair to expect Ukraine’s novice president to take over the reins of Europe’s largest country seamlessly. However, knowing how to spell his own name in English would seem a more realistic expectation. This did not appear to be the case during the first days of his administration, or at least that was […]

Disinformation Media

Insights & Impact

Jun 1, 2019

Foreign Interference in Ukraine’s Election

Ukraine Election Task Force The Atlantic Council, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, and the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity established the Ukrainian Election Task Force. Working with other Ukrainian institutions—StopFake, Razumkov Centre, and Detector Media—the three partners created a rapid-response team with the ability to monitor, evaluate, and disclose the full range of foreign subversive activities […]

Cybersecurity Disinformation

Flagship Event

Jun 1, 2019

360/OS Summit to Explore Open Source, Digital Forensics, and Disinformation

By Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) will host its 360/OS Summit on June 20-21, 2019 in London, England.

Disinformation English

New Atlanticist

May 23, 2019

Bullseye on Brussels: Can EU defeat disinformation in parliamentary elections?

By Teri Schultz

The vast amount of foreign meddling in the 2016 US presidential election was a wakeup call for the European Union (EU). It was obvious the next big target of malign actors would be Europe, with twenty-eight countries electing more than 750 lawmakers in May 2019.

Disinformation European Union

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2019

The Christchurch call and the failure of US leadership

By Emerson T. Brooking

The United States’ snubbing of the document represents a retreat from previous counterterrorism pledges. It also reveals a dangerous divide between the White House and US allies regarding the growing threat of white ethno-nationalist extremism.

Disinformation English

Article

May 7, 2019

Anti-LGBT Facebook Posts Proliferate in Georgia Before Tbilisi Pride

By Eto Buziashvili

Anti-Western and far-right Facebook pages began to disseminate anti-LGBT content following the announcement of Georgia’s first-ever large-scale pride event.

Disinformation English

Article

May 2, 2019

Armenia Assailed by Deceptive “Fact-Checking” Groups, Part 2: The Coordination

By Zarine Kharazian, Eto Buziashvili, and Yulia Reshitko

Two Armenian Facebook pages masqueraded as impartial fact-checking organizations to discredit the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Civil Society Disinformation
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Experts

Fellow

Daniel Fried

Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow

Economic Statecraft Initiative Eurasia Center

Eastern Europe Democratic Transitions

Staff

Bailey Galicia

Assistant Director, Strategy and Operations

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Disinformation Politics & Diplomacy
Sopo Gelava

Staff

Sopo Gelava

Research Associate, Caucasus

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Civil Society Disinformation

Fellow

Tuvia Gering

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

China Disinformation
Givi Gigitashvili

Staff

Givi Gigitashvili

Research Associate, Caucasus

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Conflict Disinformation

Fellow

Michelle S. Giuda

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Freedom and Prosperity Politics & Diplomacy
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