Disinformation is when someone shares something online that is false, to try to get people to share it. Often there is a negative reason that they want it to spread, such as to trick people into sharing information or to spread disruption.

The difference between disinformation and misinformation is intent. Disinformation is something that people are doing on purpose. Misinformation is more often than not an accident or misunderstanding. You can read more about the difference here.

The fact that disinformation sets out to cause trouble means we have to be really careful that we don’t engage with it. Here are our a few tips to help you spot and avoid disinformation.

Check The Headline

One of the first clues is likely to be the very first thing you see – the headline. If the headline feels like it is a bit unbelievable or over the top, then there’s a real chance that it might be exactly that. Those spreading disinformation know that a good headline is great clickbait to draw people in.

Look At The Source

Who has posted the content? Is it a source you know and trust? And if it is, are you sure that it is definitely them and not someone who is just pretending to be them? Easy ways to check are to look at the username of the poster and double check it on the official websites of the source they are claiming to be.

Check Before You Click

In most cases, when we see something that grabs our interest, we click on it to find out more. Before you do, take a moment to have a look around – is anyone else reporting or sharing the same as the post you are looking at? Do a bit of research to see if you can find someone reputable who is also saying the same thing. If you see several sources you trust sharing the same thing, you’re well on your way to verifying that it is real.

Be Wary Of The Power Of AI

With artificial intelligence tools now freely available, disinformation comes in lots of forms, including images and video. Deep fakes make you think you are watching someone or something that you are not. Try to look for things that don’t look quite right, like shadows, images not fitting together, or even people (AI famously struggles with creating human hands accurately). Are your eyes deceiving you? No, but someone else might be.

Report Suspicious Activity

The easiest way to fight back against disinformation is not only to not engage with it, but to report it. If accounts are spreading disinformation, social media platforms should ban them, although unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Even still, report the post or profile.

And last but not least…

Don’t Share Immediately

Yes, we know it’s great to be first with these kind of things. Knowing something before your friends can make you feel important. But imagine if you share it and it turns out not to be true? Or worse, a scam that your friends get caught up in? Pause and check things out before you share. Better to be confident than first.