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

Article

Sep 25, 2017

Digital Disinformation: A Primer

By Tim Hwang

“Revelations around Russian efforts to shape the 2016 US presidential election through the use of disinformation, bots, and hacking have thrust the problems of “fake news” and social media manipulation into the public spotlight,” writes Tim Hwang, director of the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund, in “Digital Disinformation: A Primer,” a new publication […]

Cybersecurity Disinformation

Report

Sep 1, 2017

Agent of Influence: Should Russia’s RT Register as a Foreign Agent?

By Elena Postnikova

The US Congress enacted the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) to ensure that the American people were aware when foreign governments funded media sources; at the time, their concerns focused on the Nazi regime in Germany. Today, this issue has resurfaced with concerns about the Russian propaganda outlet RT (formerly Russia Today). RT […]

Disinformation Elections

In the News

Mar 7, 2017

POLITICO Playbook: Naz Durakoglu Joins Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab

By Atlantic Council

Naz Durakoglu is joining the Atlantic Council as senior fellow and strategist for the Council’s new open source and digital forensic research lab, @DFRLab.

Disinformation English

In the News

Feb 24, 2017

Eliot Higgins quoted by McClatchy on Breaking Aleppo report

By Eliot Higgins

Eliot Higgins, Nonresident Senior Fellow for the DFRLab, spoke to McClatchy DC on the methodology behind the Breaking Aleppo report.

Disinformation English

In the News

Feb 23, 2017

Czuperski joins CNN to discuss Atlantic Council’s Breaking Aleppo report

By Maksymilian Czuperski

Maks Czuperski, director of the Atlantic Council's DFRLab, speaks to Christiane Amanpour about the center's new report "Breaking Aleppo."

Disinformation English
Breaking Aleppo

Report

Feb 13, 2017

Breaking Aleppo

By Maks Czuperski, Emma Beals, Faysal Itani, Eliot Higgins, and Ben Nimmo

The DFRLab's report captures the final months of the breaking of Aleppo using innovative open source methodologies and geolocation analysis.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Feb 2, 2017

The Atlantic features the Digital Forensic Research Lab on Russian hacking

By Atlantic Council

The Atlantic features the Digital Forensic Research Lab on Russian hacking in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, and what we can learn from it.

Cybersecurity Disinformation

In the News

Feb 2, 2017

The Financial Times features the Digital Forensic Research Lab on the escalation of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict

By Atlantic Council

The Financial Times features the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) on the escalation of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Nov 3, 2016

Reuters cites DFRLab article on Russian emails

By Atlantic Council

Reuters cites a Medium article by the DFRLab analyzing the authenticity of leaked emails between top Russian advisors and Ukrainian separatists.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Oct 27, 2016

Foreign Policy features the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab

By Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy cites reports from the DFRLab detailing the number of Russian ships in the Mediterranean and their capabiltiies.

Conflict Disinformation

Experts