Disinformation is spread with the intent to mislead. While misinformation is shared accidentally, the opposite is true of disinformation.

But what does disinformation look like? What examples can we identify from current online trends?

Rumours

The simplest form of disinformation is false rumours. These come in all sizes, to something spread amongst your friends to rumours that go viral and reach around the world.

One of the most common we see is rumours about celebrities and their lives, from who they are dating to the fights they have had to what they are working on. These can sometimes be misinformation, but in most cases they are designed to either cause harm or draw attention.

Hate Speech

Disinformation can be used to spread false statements about certain groups, to stir anger towards them. It can be used to amplify prejudices and to create new ones within people, by presenting false facts. It may amplify or make up a threat about a group of people or blame them for social problems.

Once created, this kind of disinformation is often targeted at people who might be more likely to believe it, and in turn, share it.

Political Influence

There are a number of ways that disinformation can be used to have an influence on politics. The goal behind political disinformation is to cause confusion on key issues or about a party or politician.

It can be used to try to shape people’s views of a politician or political party through false information, whether negatively or to inflate their achievements. Disinformation can also focus on deepening divisions to polarise debate, or even to build the discourage voters to go to the polls through fake voting rules and dates.

Scams and Phishing

Disinformation is at the heart of scams. It plays on the victim’s beliefs and insecurities to trick them into making a mistake.

We get sent this kind of disinformation all the time, through text messages, emails, posts on social media and more. It could be an email designed to look like a company or organisation you recognise (such as your bank) or it could try to frighten you into an action (such as “You owe money and must pay now!”)

Sometimes this type of disinformation is carried out over a longer period of time to build trust.

False Advertising

It may not feel like disinformation, but even advertising can be a form of disinformation. Companies can make up details about their product to encourage you to buy it or to buy something that turns out to not be what you thought it was.

For more information on how to spot Disinformation, check out our article here.