Digital Disinformation

This area addresses and discusses the rise of the digital age, social media, and online social networks has altered the sources and ways in which people access, consume, disseminate and communicate information. Today anyone with an internet access point can create or share information, misinformation or more importantly disinformatoin.

However, the same platforms and technologies that have democratized access to information have also enabled malicious actors and groups who actively strive to undermine civil society, democratic values, and processes through ongoing influence operations.

By definition disinformation is false or misleading information spread with the intention to directly deceive. It is distinct from misinformation, which is the unintentional spread of false information. 

When left on its own, and not confronted or fact checked, disinformation has the potential to promote confusion in public dialogue, cause political polarization and distrust in political systems and democratic institutions.