Centre for Information Integrity

"Europe Will Mobilize and Send Ukrainian Refugees to the Frontline". Overview of Russian Disinformation for August 28 - September 2, 2023

 9/14/2023

Detector Media

Orest Slyvenko

Since February 24, 2022, Detector Media has diligently monitored the Ukrainian segment of social media, along with the Kremlin media, systematically documenting the chronicle of Russian disinformation concerning Russia's war against Ukraine on a daily basis. As time passed, regular reviews began to be conducted by the organization.

(Dis)information wars: Battling fake news ahead of the EU elections

 5/16/2024

The Parliament

Sarah Schug

A study from August 2023 by the German Bertelsmann Foundation revealed that more than half of European citizens doubt the correctness of information on the internet, while a World Economic Forum report from earlier this year identified AI-powered misinformation as the world’s biggest short-term threat. The Digital Services Act (DSA), in force since August last year, holds platforms accountable for any disinformation they host – as well as online hate speech, counterfeit products and more

‘An age of manufactured mistrust’: Here’s what rampant disinformation means for health, climate, and democracy

 2/13/2024

Fortune

Bill Novelli

“Well over 300,000 Americans are in graveyards today because of the misinformation, the doubt, the suspicion, the distrust that caused them to say that vaccine is not safe for me. And it continues,” Dr. Francis Collins, the former head of the National Institutes of Health said in September 2022, citing a KFF estimate. Disinformation not only continues but it’s getting worse. Public trust is declining due to social media, and increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI). As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, distrust can lead to preventable deaths.

‘Fake news’ legislation risks doing more harm than good amid a record number of elections in 2024

 4/2/2024

The Conversation

“Fake news” legislation that governments around the world have written in recent years to combat mis- and disinformation does little to protect journalistic freedom. Rather, it can create a greater risk of harm. That’s the main finding of a review I helped conduct of legislation either considered or passed over the past several years related to fake news and mis- and disinformation. In all, the Center for News, Technology and Innovation, or CNTI – an independent, global policy research center comprising news professionals and academics like myself – looked at legislation in 31 countries, ranging from Ethiopia to the Philippines.

‘Hackers against conspiracies’: Cyber sleuths take aim at election disinformation

 8/15/2022

Politico

Maggie Miller

The security experts who have spent years exposing flaws in voting technology are still at it — but ongoing election conspiracy theories are forcing them to make changes. One of the country’s biggest hacking conferences became a test site this year for an urgent political question for the midterms: How to hunt for vulnerabilities in voting machines without fuelling election misinformation.

‘Queen of Canada’: the rapid rise of a fringe QAnon figure sounds alarm.

 8/23/2022

Guardian

Leyland Cecco

She travels Canada in a flag-draped RV with an entourage. She greets supporters in small towns, who eagerly film the encounters on mobile phones. She’s called on her disciples to execute healthcare workers and politicians who support mass vaccination campaigns. To her more than 60,000 followers online, she’s the newly installed Queen of Canada. But to law enforcement and national security officials, she represents the threat that online conspiracy theorists may be all too capable of inflicting real-world harm.

“Beheaded Babies” Report Spread Wide and Fast – But Israel Military Won’t Confirm it.

 10/11/2023

The Intercept

Alice Speri

The claim about beheaded babies is the latest in a series of harrowing reports that have emerged over the last few days while Israeli forces regained control of communities attacked by Hamas militants. As Israeli officials responded by pledging vengeance and launching a mass bombing campaign over 2 million Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip, reports of Hamas crimes against civilians fueled rage among the public, elected officials, and policymakers.

“Dezinformatsiya” and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

 5/1/2023

Geneva Graduate Institute

The Russian narrative on its “special military operation” in Ukraine changes frequently and includes a host of often contradictory accusations against Ukraine and its Western supporters. Ultimately, however, it is not the content of the narrative that is central to the Russian disinformation operation so much as its ability to confuse, its capacity to drown out the “signal” with “noise”.

“Exhausting and Dangerous”: The Dire Problem of Election Misinformation and Disinformation

 8/11/2022

Majority Staff Report: Committee on Oversight and Reform U.S. House of Representatives.

The Oversight Committee began investigating the pernicious effects of lies about election administration on our democracy in early 2021. In particular, the Committee has investigated how misinformation and disinformation drive fraudulent efforts to cast doubt on legitimate election results, increase threats to election administrators, and create pathways for bad actors to subvert our democratic elections. Earlier this year, the Oversight Committee and the Committee on House Administration launched an investigation to gather information directly from local election officials about the threat posed by election misinformation. On April 1, 2022, the Committee sent request letters to organizations of election officials in Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Texas – states where election misinformation appeared to be having a significant impact. The investigation uncovered that coordinated campaigns of election disinformation are disrupting the crucial work of local election officials, subjecting these Americans to violent threats, and overwhelming the limited resources available to provide accurate information to voters and protect the integrity of our democratic system. The findings indicate that strong federal leadership is needed to support the state and local officials responsible for running our elections.

“Welcome... to Russia?”. Overview of Russian Disinformation for June 12-18, 2023

 6/27/2023

Detector Media

Orest Slyvenko

Since February 24, 2022, Detector Media has been monitoring the Ukrainian segment of social media as well as the Kremlin media and documenting the chronicle of Russian disinformation about Russia’s war against Ukraine on a daily basis. Over time, they started making regular reviews. From June 12 to June 18, 2023, Detector Media recorded more than 30 disinformation pieces. During this time, propagandists claimed that Ukraine is part of Russia and that Greta Thunberg called on Russia not to destroy leopard tanks.

“Western Weapons in Wrong Hands”

 10/31/2022

Russian Disinformation Monitoring

During the week from 31 October to 6 November 2022, Detector Media’s analysts recorded about fifty disinformation fakes spread by Russian propagandists to achieve Russia’s political goals. This week, the Russian propaganda machine claimed that Ukraine was losing the support of the West and would soon be left without weapons; stated that under the UN Charter, Russia had the right to “denazify” whomever it wanted; asserted that Russia was not waging war with full force and was about to launch a “large-scale offensive”.

20 February 2024: Gendered Disinformation and the Fight for Democracy: Navigating the Threats Towards the 2024

 2/20/2024

Elections EU Disinfo Lab

In our webinar on 20 February, Cécile Simmons, Research Manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), shared with us her insights on how gendered abuse and disinformation threaten women’s rights and democracy.

20 Young Changemakers Join the Fight against Misinformation and Disinformation in ASEAN

 10/10/2022

Asean Foundation

ASEAN Foundation, with support from the US Mission to ASEAN and Google.org, proudly officiated today 20 members of the ASEAN Youth Advisory Group (ASEAN YAG) who will lead an awareness-raising campaign to combat misinformation and disinformation across ASEAN. ASEAN is not immune to the threat of misinformation and disinformation. With increasing internet penetration across the ASEAN region, information has a powerful role in society, but there is a lag in awareness of how to identify misleading information. The members of ASEAN YAG will play pivotal roles in bridging this gap by spreading awareness about the importance of digital literacy in their communities through creative, and, most importantly, localised approach.

2022 Disinformation in Canada Survey

 12/13/2022

Leger

In partnership with the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) and McMaster University, Leger conducted a national survey of more than 2,000 Canadians to explore their perspectives on disinformation in Canada. The findings reveal how disinformation is spread in Canada (with some comparisons to the U.S.), the power and perceptions of disinformation, including its impact on trust in society and who should be responsible for combatting it. It is based on the annual Institute for Public Relations Disinformation in Society report conducted in the United States.

2024 Elections: Do New Disinformation Frontiers Threaten Global Democracy?

 10/23/2024

LSE

Ian Plunkett

As over a billion people head to the polls in 2024, the integrity of elections worldwide faces unprecedented challenges. In this guest blog, Ian Plunkett from Blue Owl Group, shares the findings of their recent on-the-ground studies of five pivotal elections in Taiwan, Indonesia, South Africa, Mexico, and the European Union. The backdrop to these elections is troubling. International IDEA’s 2023 report showed that half of the countries examined experienced declines in at least one indicator of democratic performance, marking the sixth consecutive year of this trend. With over 60 elections taking place over the course of this year, the stakes for global democracy have never been higher.

2024 may be the year online disinformation finally gets the better of us

 3/25/2024

Politico

Seb Butcher

Around 64 countries are set to head to the polls this year, and the threat of AI-powered disinformation to democracy has never been more severe. Are our laws ready for what’s to come? Key elections are scheduled to take place in the U.K., U.S., EU, India, South Africa, Mexico and a bevy of other countries, with nearly half of the world’s adult population heading to the polls this year. But even beyond the sheer number of elections taking place, there’s a feeling in the air that the stakes have never been higher. We’re seeing increasing political division and factional in-fighting within many nations, and there’s a firm sense — no thanks to the online world in which we all now live — that we’re becoming more polarized, more tribal and more intolerant of “the other side.”

2024 U.S. Election Misinformation Monitoring Center

 10/1/2024

NewsGuard

As voters in the U.S. head to the polls to choose their next president, NewsGuard is stepping up its monitoring of the spread of misinformation relating to the candidates and the Nov. 5 vote. As a public service, starting on Oct. 14, NewsGuard is making all new election-related misinformation narratives available for no charge in our 2024 U.S. Election Misinformation Monitoring Center.

2024 will be the year of democracy - or disinformation

 2/27/2024

King’s Colledge London

Resham Kotecha & Elena Simpiri

In this year of elections around the world, how will AI shape or harm democracies? The authors of this article explore the impact AI is already having, whether states are ready for the sheer volume of rule-breaking we might see and why everyone should take a more critical approach to what we see. With nearly 2 billion people heading to the polls this year, 2024 is being touted as the year of democracy. Key elections are being held in the UK, the US, the EU, and India, with many other countries also set to hold elections over the course of the year. Along with many organisations working with data and AI, at the Open Data Institute, we’re cognisant of the vast opportunities - and significant challenges - that these technologies can play in shaping and harming our democracies.

2024: A tinderbox year for disinformation

 8/15/2024

Media Leader

Struan Murray

The world finds itself in the grip of ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tensions, rapid advances in technology and a hyper-politicised global environment. These factors have combined to create a tinderbox, where underlying issues of mistrust, division and fear have ignited into widespread disinformation campaigns.

2024: the election year of deepfakes, doubts and disinformation?

 7/1/2024

Onfido

Aled Owen

2024 is the year of elections. It’s estimated more than 2 billion voters will take to the polls this year across 50 countries, including the US, the UK, India, as well as the European Union. But a climate of doubt and disinformation threatens to overshadow 2024’s elections. Many voters already harbor growing skepticism about political content published online. Results from a recent UK-wide survey reveal that 23% of Brits no longer trust any political content they see on social media, and 29% only trust political content published from a verified source such as an official news outlet*. Given this growing skepticism around the legitimacy of political content, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and deepfakes have the potential to make this year’s election cycles unpredictable.

6 facts about false noncitizen voting claims and the election

 10/12/2024

NPR

Jude Joffe-Block

This presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been repeating the false narrative that Democrats are purposefully letting migrants into the country so they will vote. There’s no evidence for the claim, which echoes a racist conspiracy theory known as the "great replacement." In fact, allegations about voter fraud and noncitizens have been floating around American politics for more than a century.

6 February 2024: Off-Shor Disinformation: The pro-Russian Facebook ad campaign disrupting Moldova’s EU accession

The webinar on 6 February uncovered the intricate web of deception woven by EU/US-sanctioned oligarch Ilan Shor and his pro-Russian party in their relentless bid to sabotage Moldova’s aspirations for EU membership. RESET, in a joint investigation with WatchDog.md, discovered the largest Moldovan paid ad campaign witnessed on Facebook in 2023, including coordinated inauthentic behaviour and glaring violations of platform policies.

A coup, fake signatures and deepfakes are the latest conspiracy theories about 2024

 7/23/2024

NPR

Shannon Bond

President Joe Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 election followed weeks of pressure from Democrats concerned about his age and ability to win and serve another four years. But conspiracy theorists, right-wing influencers and even some Republican politicians immediately cast Biden’s resignation from the campaign as evidence of something more sinister. The flurry of unverified rumors, speculation, and conspiracy theories comes as people are reeling from an onslaught of high-stakes political upheaval, from the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on July 13 to Biden’s withdrawal from the race eight days later.

A Disinformation Campaign Takes Dead Aim at Congress

 6/26/2025

Defence Option

Mark Pfeifle

Disinformation is the weapon of choice for those seeking to disrupt our democracy and economy, and I have spent years traveling around the world speaking to foreign government officials about detecting and combating it. Therefore, I was especially taken back this week as TPLF and disinformation issues collided during discussions concerning President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

A Faux 'October Surprise'—How Misinformation Could Upend the Election

 10/1/2024

Forbes

Peter Suciu

As we head into the final weeks before Election Day, the political campaigns are likely bracing for an unexpected "October Surprise" that could influence voters and impact the results. The term was first coined by William Casey, who served as campaign manager for Ronald Reagan during the 1980 presidential campaign, yet, there have been October election-upending events going back to the 19th century.

A pro-Russian bot network in the EU amplifies disinformation about the war in Ukraine

 4/28/2022

European Digital Media Observatory

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, on February 24, a large number of accounts, whose main goal was to spread pro-Russian disinformation, were detected on Twitter. Many of these profiles are suspected to be bots, but a large part could also be managed by actual human beings that act coordinately to spread false or misleading narratives about the conflict. This is what emerges from an exclusive investigation carried out by the EDMO task force on Ukraine which analyzed EU Member States, Switzerland and Great Britain.

A Step Up in Fake News.

 2/11/2025

RNZ

Sharon Bretkelly

In the year of local government elections, expect computer generated content where the sources and authenticity are murky; more complaints about the political statements; and more polarisation. Experts who spoke to The Detail about the rise and rise of disinformation and misinformation in the era of US President Donald Trump say New Zealand lacks a single body that monitors and regulates the flow of information - but it would be dangerous for the government to take full responsibility.

A Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections

 2/1/2024

AI Elections accord

2024 will bring elections to more people than any year in history, with 40+ countries and more than four billion people choosing their leaders and representatives through the right to vote. At the same time, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, or AI, is creating new opportunities as well as challenges for the democratic process. All of society will have to lean into the opportunities afforded by AI and to take new steps together to protect elections and the electoral process during this exceptional year.

AI and disinformation fuel political tensions in the Philippines

 7/15/2025

Aljazeera

Michael Beltran

The campaign by Duterte’s supporters aims to discredit the ICC, demonise their detractors and paint their family as persecuted victims leading to and after the May 2025 mid-term polls, according to Danilo Arao, mass media expert and convener of election watchdog Kontra-Daya. “The Duterte camp aims to deodorize the image of both patriarch and daughter. They will resort to disinformation to get what they want, even if it means twisting certain data,” Arao told Al Jazeera.

AI and misinformation: what’s ahead for social media as the US election looms?

 2/10/2024

Guardian

Rachel Leingang

Innovation is outpacing our ability to handle misinformation, experts say. That makes falsehoods easy to weaponize. As the United States’ fractured political system prepares for a tense election, social media companies may not be prepared for an onslaught of viral rumors and lies that could disrupt the voting process – an ongoing feature of elections in the misinformation age.

AI presents political peril for 2024 with threat to mislead voters

 5/14/2024

AP News

David Klepper & Ali Swenson

Computer engineers and tech-inclined political scientists have warned for years that cheap, powerful artificial intelligence tools would soon allow anyone to create fake images, video and audio that was realistic enough to fool voters and perhaps sway an election.

AI will play a role in election misinformation. Experts are trying to fight back

 8/19/2024

Washington State Standard

Paige Gross

AI-created likenesses, often called “deepfakes,” have increasingly become a point of concern for those battling misinformation during election seasons. Creating deepfakes used to take a team of skilled technologists with time and money, but recent advances and accessibility in AI technology have meant that nearly anyone can create convincing fake content. “Now we can supercharge the speed and the frequency and the persuasiveness of existing misinformation and disinformation narratives,” Tim Harper, senior policy analyst for democracy and elections at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said.

AI-driven misinformation ‘biggest short-term threat to global economy’

 1/10/2024

Guardian

Larry Elliott

A wave of artificial intelligence-driven misinformation and disinformation that could influence key looming elections poses the biggest short-term threat to the global economy, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said. In a deeply gloomy assessment, the body that convenes its annual meeting in Davos next week expressed concern that politics could be disrupted by the spread of false information, potentially leading to riots, strikes and crackdowns on dissent from governments.

AI-Generated Misinformation: Silent Saboteur of the 2024 Election?

 8/21/2024

Divided We Fall

Hany Farid and Chris McIsaac

AI-generated misinformation will definitely impact the 2024 election, but we don’t know how significant the effect will be. AI-generated misinformation (e.g. deepfakes) includes machine-generated, human-like prose, image, audio, or video. This content manifests itself as Twitter/X bots pushing state-sponsored disinformation, fake photos of former President Trump surrounded by adoring Black voters, AI-generated robocalls in the voice of President Biden urging voters not to vote, or a bogus video of Biden misspeaking.

AI-powered disinformation is spreading — is Canada ready for the political impact?

 11/18/2023

CBC

Catherine Tunney

The rise of deepfakes comes as billions of people around the world prepare to vote this year. Just days before Slovakia's national election last fall, a mysterious voice recording began spreading a lie online. The manipulated file made it sound like Michal Simecka, leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, was discussing buying votes with a local journalist. But the conversation never happened; the file was later debunked as a "deepfake" hoax.

Amid Rise in False Narratives, Global Communications Department Ensuring Information Integrity of UN’s Work, Says Under-Secretary-General, as Committee Opens Session

 4/29/2024

United Nations

The Department of Global Communications engages global audiences not just on the state of a world troubled by spreading pollution, inequality, hate and violence, but also on “the solutions that are out there”, its top official told the Committee on Information during the opening of its forty-sixth session today, as delegates highlighted the need to combat disinformation through facts communicated by the United Nations across and beyond its six official languages.

Amid Rise in Misinformation, Hate Speech as Weapon of War, Strategic Communications Is Crucial to Achieve Peacekeeping Aims, Secretary-General Tells Security Council

 7/12/2022

United Nations

This site features UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council high-level debate on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: The Key Role of Strategic Communications, in New York today, July 12, 2022. In his speech he outlines six concrete actions that can be adopted to improve strategic communications in peacekeeping.

An election in a polluted media environment

 3/24/2025

CBC Podcast

With trust in journalism eroding, disinformation — once fringe — is now mainstream. Much of it is spreading on social media. Today's guest today says the online media environment in Canada is more fragile and vulnerable to manipulation than ever before. A dangerous situation at the best of times — even more so during an election. Taylor Owen is a professor at McGill University; the Chair in Media, Ethics and Communication; the founding Director of The Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy; and principal investigator at the Media Ecosystem Observatory.

An existential threat: Disinformation ‘single biggest risk’ to Canadian democracy

 3/19/2025

DFRLab

A public inquiry examining the impact of foreign interference in Canada found that disinformation poses the “single biggest risk” to Canadian democracy. In January 2025, Canada’s Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions released its final report, examining the effect of foreign interference on the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The Foreign Interference Commission’s findings arrive as the country prepares to head to the polls in 2025 to elect a new prime minister.

Anti-vax Twitter accounts pushing food crisis misinformation, study finds

 8/1/2022

Guardian

Adam Gabbatt

Research says conspiracy theorists shifting from QAnon and Covid to disinformation about crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine Twitter accounts that have promoted QAnon and anti-vaccine conspiracy theories are switching focus and increasingly spreading disinformation about the global food crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a new study.

Are Canadians immune to Russian propaganda? New research says you’ve likely already seen it on social media.

 7/11/2022

Toronto Metropolitan University

Canadians are being exposed to pro-Kremlin propaganda. Slightly over half of Canadians (51%) reported encountering at least one pro-Kremlin claim about the Russia-Ukraine war on social media, according to new research from the Social Media Lab at the Ted Rogers School of Management. In recent years, Russia has deployed bots, trolls and hackers across social media and the internet, as part of Russia’s goal to shape their public perception on the world stage. These tactics are in an effort to curate a more favorable environment for their agenda in Ukraine, as well as other areas of geopolitical.

As 2022 midterms approach, disinformation on social media platforms continues

 10/21/2022

PBS

David Klepper (AP)

With less than three weeks before the polls close, misinformation about voting and elections abounds on social media despite promises by tech companies to address a problem blamed for increasing polarization and distrust. While platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube say they’ve expanded their work to detect and stop harmful claims that could suppress the vote or even lead to violent confrontations, a review of some of the sites shows they’re still playing catch-up with 2020, when then-President Donald Trump’s lies about the election he lost to Joe Biden helped fuel an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

As Dr. Anthony Fauci leaves public service, he fears health misinformation

 12/13/2022

ABC News

After over 50 years working in public service, Dr. Anthony Fauci is stepping down at the end of the month, though he's not retiring. Fauci told ABC News he wants to do something outside of federal work while he still has the health, vitality and drive to do so. And as he gets ready to leave as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and as President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor, one of the things that worries him the most about the state of science and medicine in the U.S.is misinformation.

As India votes, misinformation surges on social media: ‘The whole country is paying the price’

 5/2/2024

AP News

David Klepper and Krutika Pathi

Researchers who track misinformation and hate speech in India say tech companies’ poor enforcement of their own policies has created perfect conditions for harmful content that could distort public opinion, spur violence and leave millions of voters wondering what to believe.

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Disinformation, Disruption, and the Shifting Media Ecosystem in the 2022 Philippines Election

 5/4/2022

Kelly Grounds, Madelyn Koff.

Social media is playing an outsized role in the lead-up to the May 9 presidential elections in the Philippines. Government lockdowns and other COVID-19-related restrictions have made it difficult for candidates to hold in-person campaign events. These limits on large gatherings, combined with more than 90 per cent of Filipinos getting their internet access via social media, have meant that the candidates are heavily relying on social media to capture the attention and votes of the electorate. These campaign conditions are happening against the backdrop of a longer-term trend in the Philippines: An accelerated shift away from traditional media and towards social media, where information may be free and accessible, but not always accurate. This new media landscape, however, is fertile ground for candidates and their supporters to turn increasingly to disinformation tactics on social media rather than traditional media techniques.

Balance between fighting misinformation and protecting speech on social media gets more complicated.

 3/24/2024

CBS News

Leslie Stahl, et al.

As the U.S. 2024 presidential election gets underway, social media companies are caught in an unenviable position: trying to stop the spread of misinformation while also facing more and more allegations of censorship.

Before the next health crisis, we need to grow trust and fight misinformation

 5/24/2023

Policy Options

Bruch MacLellan, Josh Zanin

The public policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the largest peacetime challenges for government in modern history. The pandemic threatened the life of every person and placed unprecedented demands on political leaders and public officials at all three levels of government. The pandemic also occurred in an age of social media, where information and misinformation spread quickly, and where anonymity has empowered the darkest corners of society. There are three things that can be done to prepare for the next crisis: teach younger Canadians in particular how to distinguish between disinformation/misinformation and reject it; invest in the training of trusted family doctors and nurse practitioners; and develop deeper legislative and policy partnerships between federal and provincial governments.

Best and Worst of 2022: The Top Straight Shooters and Misinformers — Plus Sites We All Would Have Wanted to Know About Before They Made Waves

 12/1/2022

NewsGuard

Jack Brewster & Sam Howard

To sum up the 2022 war against misinformation in one phrase: One step forward, two steps back. In February, Russia invaded Ukraine, and pro-Russian disinformation flooded social media feeds, despite platforms’ increased moderation efforts following a divisive U.S. presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic. Four months later, far-right media countered the Jan. 6 House committee hearings with rampant falsehoods about the attack and the 2020 U.S. presidential election. QAnon at one point appeared all but gone from America’s major social media platforms. But in June, “Q” re-emerged, when former President Donald Trump’s new Twitter competitor, Truth Social, gave the conspiracy theory’s adherents a welcoming home.

Biden admin targets Russia over 2024 election disinformation efforts

 9/4/2024

ABC News

Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Jack Date, and Alexander Mallin

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a sweeping crackdown Wednesday on dueling efforts by the Russian government to influence the upcoming 2024 election through covert networks aimed at spreading disinformation to American voters. For months, the Biden administration has been publicly warning of Russia's efforts to influence Americans through disinformation and propaganda to sow distrust in the election.

Big little lies? Disinformation in the 2023 election campaign

 10/12/2023

Victoria University of Wellington

Three weeks into the 2023 New Zealand Social Media Study (NZSMS), 2,437 Facebook posts by political parties and their leaders have been analysed by Dr Mona Krewel, director of the Internet, Social Media and Politics Research Lab at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, and her team. The posts were made in the period from 11 September to 1 October. The researchers have dug into the data to find out which parties are using disinformation, the political tactics they’re employing, and the groups that disinformation posts are attacking.

Big Tech Must Step Up Now to Fight Misinformation in the Midterms

 7/10/2022

NYU Centre for Social Media and Politics

Instead of pulling back election integrity measures, platforms should enhance their election safeguards. As researchers who study the intersection of social media, politics and democracy, here are four questions we’re watching: How will social media respond to threats to democratic legitimacy? How will companies stop extremists from organizing on their platforms? What about video? Will platforms share their data?

Bombs and disinformation: Russia’s campaign to depopulate Kharkiv

 4/29/2024

Atlantic Council

Maria Avdeeva

Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, is currently the Kremlin’s number one target. Since the start of 2024, Kharkiv has been the primary focus of a Russian bombing campaign that has sought to capitalize of Ukraine’s dwindling supplies of air defense ammunition in order to terrorize the civilian population and destroy vital infrastructure. The Kremlin’s goal is to make Kharkiv “unlivable” and force a large percentage of its approximately 1.3 million residents to flee. Moscow hopes this will demoralize Ukraine and pave the way for the city’s capture by Russian forces during a widely anticipated summer offensive in the coming months.

Brand Danger: X and Misinformation Super-spreaders Share Ad Money from False or Egregiously Misleading Claims About the Israel-Hamas War

 11/22/2023

NewsGuard

Jack Nrewster, Coalter Palmer et al.

On X, programmatic ads appear below viral posts spreading false claims about the Israel-Hamas war. Shockingly, a new ad revenue sharing program rewards these misinformation spreaders with a portion of income from major brands, governments, and non-profits.

Brazil pushes back on big tech firms' campaign against 'fake news law'

 5/2/2023

Reuters

Anthony Boadle

Brazil's government and judiciary objected on Tuesday to big tech firms campaigning against an internet regulation bill aimed at cracking down on fake news, alleging undue interference in the debate in Congress. Bill 2630, also known as the Fake News Law, puts the onus on the internet companies, search engines and social messaging services to find and report illegal material, instead of leaving it to the courts, charging hefty fines for failures to do so.

Brazil: Election interference and Disinformation Incidents

 5/7/2025

Control Risk

This fortnightly report by Control Risks highlights key incidents that occurred during the reporting period. It examines how these incidents relate to observed trends in election interference and assesses their impact on Brazilian organizations and individuals.

Brazil: Election Interference and Disinformation Incidents, 9 July 2025.

Controlrisks

This fortnightly report by Control Risks highlights key incidents during the reporting period. We examine how these incidents play into the election interference trends we’re observing and their impact on Brazilian organisations and individuals.

Briefing: Canadian Election, April 2025

 6/9/2025

CAAD

Lately, election after election has shown us that, as predicted, misinformation, including climate disinformation is more commonplace during elections, threatening democracy. Whether it’s outright climate denial or misinformation about solutions, right-wing and far-right parties increasingly use the climate as a wedge issue. This year, Canada was not immune to such developments. Throughout April 2025, a small group of highly networked and highly opaque online actors – many with financial and other ties to the fossil fuel industry, conspired to push false narratives about climate change; in particular focusing on unsubstantiated claims that the incumbent government’s planned climate policy will wreak havoc on Canada’s economy and even democracy.

Canada continues to apply pressure on Russia with broader services ban, sanctioning of disinformation and propaganda figures, and sourcing ban on gold products

 7/20/2022

McCarthy Tetrault

On July 7, 2022, Canada added 29 individuals and 15 entities to Schedule 1 who were identified as state-sponsored “Russian disinformation agents” and “Russian disinformation entities” who “bear the responsibility for enabling and supporting Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.”

Canada hits back at Russian disinformation with entertainment sanctions

 10/18/2022

National Observer

Dylan Robertson

Canada is sanctioning 34 individuals and a television network in Russia that the federal government considers "propaganda agents," Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced Monday. In the latest update to Canada's sanctions regime, Joly said Ottawa is targeting those responsible for Russian disinformation as the war in Ukraine nears the nine-month mark. The people on the list have tried to justify Russia's illegal attempts to annex parts of Ukraine, she said.

Canada inquiry found no evidence of 'traitors’ in parliament, but warns against disinformation

 1/28/2025

ABC News

Jim Morris

A public inquiry on foreign interference in Canada concluded Tuesday that while some foreign entities tried to interfere in the country's elections, its democratic institutions remain "robust,” but warned against the danger of misinformation. The final report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference found “no evidence of traitors” in the country’s parliament, but Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue warned that one of the biggest threats to democracy was foreign actors sowing disinformation in both the traditional media and social media.

Canada Needs Advanced Monitoring to Combat Disinformation

 3/28/2025

CIGI

Halyna Padalko & Ann Fitz-Gerald

For the second consecutive year, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report has identified disinformation as the most significant short-term global risk that could destabilize democratic institutions, polarize societies and erode trust in truth. And yet, US Vice President J. D. Vance, speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February,dismissed the concept of disinformation as “old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words,” which, in his view, were being used to impose censorship. At the same time, as Meta curtails its fact-checking programs, X becomes a haven for far-right apologetics and Elon Musk fans, and Canadians maintain a high level of content dependence on the United States, we need to reflect: What does this constellation of concerning trends mean for Canada, particularly in the face of increasing foreign interference, proliferating unchecked digital content and shifting dynamics in domestic political discourse, all while our neighbourhood becomes less safe?

Canada Needs Advanced Monitoring to Combat Disinformation

 3/28/2025

CIGI

Halyna Padalko & Ann Fitz-Gerald

For the second consecutive year, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report has identified disinformation as the most significant short-term global risk that could destabilize democratic institutions, polarize societies and erode trust in truth. And yet, US Vice President J. D. Vance, speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February,dismissed the concept of disinformation as “old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words,” which, in his view, were being used to impose censorship. At the same time, as Meta curtails its fact-checking programs, X becomes a haven for far-right apologetics and Elon Musk fans, and Canadians maintain a high level of content dependence on the United States, we need to reflect: What does this constellation of concerning trends mean for Canada, particularly in the face of increasing foreign interference, proliferating unchecked digital content and shifting dynamics in domestic political discourse, all while our neighbourhood becomes less safe?

Canada sanctions additional Russian propaganda agents

 10/17/2022

Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing further sanctions in relation to Russia’s unjustifiable invasion and attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory. The announcement was made during the visit to Ottawa of human rights and media freedom activists Bill Browder and Evgenia Kara-Murza, wife of detained Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Canada says China likely targeted lawmaker in disinformation campaign

 8/9/2023

Reuters

Kanishka Singh

Canada said that an opposition Canadian legislator with family in Hong Kong had been targeted in an online disinformation operation and said China most likely played a role. In a statement, the Canadian foreign ministry said the target was Michael Chong, a member of the opposition Conservative party, a frequent critic of China who has drawn Beijing's ire.

Canada to Create Team to Counter Russian Disinformation: Trudeau

 8/23/2022

CTV

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled plans to create a special team focused on countering Russian disinformation and propaganda on Tuesday, as Ukrainians prepared to mark the six-month anniversary of Moscow's invasion of their country. The prime minister announced the new initiative as part of a package of new Canadian measures designed to support Ukraine and punish Russia for launching a war that has killed tens of thousands and whose impacts are being felt around the world.

Chaos of propagandists: hijacking traditions, armament blocking peace, and the invader deserving forgiveness

 7/11/2025

Adapt Institute

Peter Dubóczi

The increase in defence spending has been a thorn in the side of many disinformation actors and a significant part of the governing coalition since mid-June. In our previous report, we outlined narratives that questioned the need for rearmament and manipulated the image of an aggressive West. The disinformation scene continued to surf the waves stirred up by Robert Fico’s statement on Slovakia’s neutrality in the days that followed. NATO, for example, was no longer just an aggressive alliance, but a feudal empire actively blocking peace negotiations.

China is using the world’s largest known online disinformation operation to harass Americans, a CNN review finds

 11/13/2023

CNN

Donie O’Sullivan, Curt Devine & Allison Gordon

The Chinese government has built up the world’s largest known online disinformation operation and is using it to harass US residents, politicians, and businesses—at times threatening its targets with violence, a CNN review of court documents and public disclosures by social media companies has found.

China's promotion of Russian disinformation indicates where its loyalties lie

In public statements and at international summits, Chinese officials have attempted to stake out a seemingly neutral position on the war in Ukraine, neither condemning Russian actions nor ruling out the possibility Beijing could act as a mediator in a push for peace. But while its international messaging has kept many guessing as to Beijing's true intentions, much of its domestic media coverage of Russia's invasion tells a wholly different story.

Chinese-linked online network is stoking U.S. political divisions: report

 9/3/2024

Axios

Avery Lotz

A Chinese influence operation of inauthentic social media accounts to spread anti-Western sentiment is using fake accounts posing as American citizens ahead of the 2024 election, a report released Tuesday found. The big picture: Americans have been inundated by media manipulated by China, Russia and Iran in recent years attempting to deepen stateside divisions as the election approaches.

Closing Session, Committee on Information Approves Texts Urging Greater Cooperation to Fight Disinformation, Build Developing Countries’ Communications Infrastructure

 5/4/2023

United Nations

The United Nations Committee on Information — concluding its forty-fifth session today — approved two resolutions detailing Member States’ priorities for the Department of Global Communications, from combating disinformation, misinformation and information manipulation to reduce disparities in information flows by enhancing assistance for developing countries.

CNN - Fake news (see first video clip is an instance of this)

Coalition Sends Letter Urging Social Media Platforms to Prevent Online Election Disinformation

 10/13/2022

Legal Defence Fund

Today, LDF and a coalition of civil rights, public interest, voting rights, and other organizations, sent a letter urging social media companies to take immediate steps to curb the spread of voting disinformation in the midterms and future elections and to help prevent the undermining of our democracy. This letter is a follow up to another sent last May. Many companies have announced updates to their voter interference and disinformation policies in recent weeks but the policies have little effect unless enforced continually and consistently.

Collaboration is key to countering online misinformation about noncommunicable diseases –new WHO/Europe toolkit shows how

 10/22/2022

World Health Organization

The spread of health-related misinformation poses a growing threat to societies, with more and more people turning to search engines or social media for their health information. Misguided perceptions of health risks – such as smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets or physical inactivity – can lead to numerous life-changing and potentially deadly noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer or diabetes. WHO/Europe’s new “Toolkit for tackling misinformation on noncommunicable diseases” explores why current measures implemented in the European Region are not achieving optimal results, and makes recommendations on collaborative action to better protect people from misinformation.

Combating the disinfodemic: Working for truth in the time of COVID-19

COVID-19 has led to a parallel pandemic of disinformation that directly impacts lives and livelihoods around the world. Falsehoods and misinformation have proven deadly and sowed confusion about life-saving personal and policy choices. To #ShareKnowledge, UNESCO has published two policy briefs offering critical insights into the fast-growing COVID-19-related disinformation that is impeding access to trustworthy sources and reliable information.

Commission welcomes new sanctions against disinformation and war propaganda

 5/17/2024

European Commission

The Commission welcomes the Council decision to suspend the broadcasting activities of four more media outlets (Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta) in the EU or directed at the EU, in view of their role supporting and justifying Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has engaged in continuous and concerted propaganda as well as information manipulation actions targeted at civil society in the EU and neighbouring countries, gravely distorting and manipulating facts. These propaganda actions have been channelled through a number of media outlets under the permanent direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation. Such actions constitute a significant and direct threat to the Union's public order and security.

Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 [Provisions]

 9/19/2024

Parliament of Australia

The bill proposes to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and would make consequential amendments to other Acts to establish a new framework to safeguard against serious harms caused by misinformation or disinformation. The bill would provide the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with new regulatory powers to require digital communications platform providers to take steps to manage the risk that misinformation and disinformation on digital communications platforms poses in Australia. These would include obligations on providers to assess and report on risks relating to misinformation and disinformation, to publish their policy in relation to managing misinformation and disinformation, and develop and publish a media literacy plan.

Communications Security Establishment Canada releases 2025 update to report on cyber threats to Canada’s democratic process

 3/6/2025

Government of Canada

The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) has released an update on the cyber threats facing Canada's democratic process. This 2025 report highlights the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) by foreign adversaries to target elections worldwide, including in Canada. The Cyber Threats to Canada’s Democratic Process: 2025 Update indicates that AI technologies have become more powerful and accessible over the last two years. CSE and its Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) assess that these technologies are being used by foreign actors to create and spread disinformation, harass politicians, and enhance cyber espionage and malicious cyber activities.

Concern as US media hit with wave of layoffs amid rise of disinformation

 12/10/2022

Guardian

Lauren Aratani

A wave of layoffs have hit the beleaguered American media industry as several major companies, including CNN, BuzzFeed and Gannett, have laid off hundreds of workers in recent weeks citing economic volatility and uncertainty. The job losses are the first major slate of cuts since the beginning of the pandemic, when a handful of companies laid off workers over the unpredictability of Covid’s impact on the economy. As the economy rebounded with the introduction of the Covid vaccine in 2021, the news industry saw the lowest number of layoffs in years.

Concrete Action to Combat Disinformation and Hate Speech: Ministry of Information, UNESCO and OIF Sign Partnership Agreement

 1/16/2025

UNESCO

In a strategic step towards combating disinformation and hate speech in Lebanon, UNESCO signed a Tripartite Partnership Agreement today under the leadership of Ministry of Information with the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF). A large-scale media campaign across TV channels and social media platforms will be launched to raise public awareness on critical thinking and depicting fake news and disinformation. Capacity development actions will be taken to increase the competencies of a core team of journalists/reporters from the National News Agency on fact-checking and video reporting. The necessary equipment will also be provided.

Countering disinformation with facts - Russian invasion of Ukraine

 7/14/2023

Government of Canada

The Kremlin has long spread disinformation and propaganda to achieve its objectives. It continues to disseminate lies to justify its unprovoked, unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Below, you will find a sample of the many lies by the Russian regime about its invasion of Ukraine, along with the truth. This information is based on Government of Canada intelligence. Limit the spread of disinformation by knowing how to identify it and being critical about what you read.

Countering disinformation with facts - Russian invasion of Ukraine

 3/6/2025

Government of Canada

Government of Canada

The Kremlin has long spread disinformation and propaganda to achieve its objectives. It continues to disseminate lies to justify its unprovoked, unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Below, you will find a sample of the many lies by the Russian regime about its invasion of Ukraine, along with the truth. This information is based on Government of Canada intelligence. You can limit the spread of disinformation by knowing how to identify it and being critical about what you read.

Countering Identity-Based Disinformation Through Positive Narrative Expansion

 8/15/2025

ICCT

Anna Kruglova, Bruce White

Identity-based disinformation (IBD) represents a significant threat within the landscape of preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). This form of disinformation, which exploits identity characteristics such as gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and religion, poses a unique challenge due to its ability to undermine and polarise communities by attacking individuals' sense of self and belonging. For instance, the proliferation of anti-Rohingya "fake news" and hate speech on social media in Myanmar directly stoked violence and contributed to public acceptance of ethnic cleansing operations. Similarly, the spread of the baseless Great Replacement conspiracy theory in Western countries, alleging an intentional replacement of white populations, has been explicitly cited by perpetrators of terrorist attacks. These examples highlight how IBD can fuel extremism by strengthening malicious narratives and potentially radicalising audiences towards violence.

COVID 19: A Severe Strain on the Information Space

 4/1/2020

Dean Jackson

Changes, including the promotion of accurate information from official sources, have not been enough to stem the tide of bad information: conspiracy theories, scams, and other forms of misleading content continue to flow, especially outside of the English language. A virus without respect for borders has forced the world’s people to simultaneously reckon with threats to government accountability, press freedom, and the vitality of public discourse. Societies cannot understand these trends solely through the narrow lens of their own local political contexts. Doing so would mean failing to engage in important debates about democracy and the broader information space—which will surely have implications for future pandemics and other transnational crises to come.

COVID disinformation campaign targeted BioNTech-Pfizer

A mysterious PR agency bribed health bloggers to spread false information on the BioNTech-Pfizer COVID vaccine.

COVID-19 misinformation

COVID-19 misinformation refers to misinformation and conspiracy theories about the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the origin, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease COVID-19, which is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. False information, including intentional disinformation, has been spread through social media, text messaging,[1] and mass media. False information has been propagated by celebrities, politicians, and other prominent public figures. Many countries have passed laws against "fake news," and thousands of people have been arrested for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. The spread of COVID-19 misinformation by governments has also been significant.

COVID-19 misinformation contributed to 2,800 Canadian deaths, report suggests

 1/26/2023

CTV News

A new report says misinformation about COVID-19 contributed to more than 2,800 Canadian deaths and at least $300 million in hospital and ICU visits. The Council of Canadian Academies says misinformation led to people not believing COVID-19 was real or was exaggerated, fostering vaccine hesitancy. This report suggests that the belief that COVID-19 was a "hoax or exaggerated" led to 2.35 million people delaying or refusing to get the vaccine between March and November of 2021.

COVID-19 Misinformation: The Flip Side of ‘Knowledge is Power’

 10/25/2022

Penn Medicine

Frank Otto

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the phrase “Knowledge is power” has taken on significant meaning. While it’s typically associated with a force of good — the more someone knows about something they can do to make a positive difference in their lives or others’ — it’s becoming clear through recent ongoing research that many have underestimated the force of knowledge that doesn’t originate from the truth. The term “infodemic” — which has its very own page on the World Health Organization’s website — became common parlance for the exponential way in which COVID-19 misinformation spreads. Every part of the pandemic seemed to have its own piece of untruth or lie to go with it, ranging from the disease’s origins to treatments and the vaccines that have dulled COVID-19’s impact. This misinformation has hurt people: An early study estimated that one rumour, which had to do with drinking highly concentrated alcohol-based cleaning products as a “cure” for COVID-19, led to more than 5,800 people being hospitalized (with 800 dying) from January through March of 2020 alone.

CPAC launches explainers on disinformation and democracy on International Democracy Day

 9/13/2024

CPAC

To commemorate International Democracy Day on September 15, the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) is unveiling 20 new short-form video explainers that address the critical issue of disinformation and its impact on democracy. Produced in English and French, these videos aim to equip viewers with the knowledge they need to identify and counter the spread of false information. From understanding the difference between misinformation and disinformation to exploring the influence of AI on elections, the explainers will provide Canadians with the tools they need to navigate today’s complex information landscape.

Cyabra Report Uncovers Coordinated Disinformation Campaign Targeting Portugal’s 2025 Elections, Featured on CNN

 5/20/2025

Cyabra

Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”), a leading AI platform for real-time disinformation detection, has released a new investigation into coordinated manipulation campaigns aimed at swaying public opinion in the weeks ahead of Portugal’s general election. The findings, based on a comprehensive analysis of social media activity between April 14 and May 14, expose how fake profiles and bot networks are reshaping Portugal’s political discourse and voter sentiment in real time.

Czech War on Disinformation is Still Mostly Talk

 11/9/2022

Reporting Democracy

Tim Gosling

The recent huge cost-of-living protests – organized by extremist, pro-Russian elements – was a wake-up call for a government that seems to have forgotten its earlier pledge to build a blueprint to fight back against disinformation.

Czech War on Disinformation is Still Mostly Talk

 11/9/2022

Reporting Democracy

Tim Gosling

The recent huge cost-of-living protests – organized by extremist, pro-Russian elements – was a wake-up call for a government that seems to have forgotten its earlier pledge to build a blueprint to fight back against disinformation.

Dark Money Political Ads Proliferate on Facebook and Instagram Ahead of the U.S. Midterms, Enabled by the Platforms’ Policies

 10/1/2022

NewsGuard Misinformation Monitor

Lorenzo Arvanitis and McKenzie Sadeghi

“Pink slime” newsrooms secretly backed by partisan donors are spending big on Facebook and Instagram ads in battleground states, taking advantage of the Meta platforms’ ad-targeting tools and advertising policies. NewsGuard’s analysis of Meta’s Ad Library identified thousands of ads from the four pink slime groups promoting either Democrats or Republicans and focusing on hot-button issues, such as abortion, inflation, education, and crime. The ads, which were disguised as articles from local news publications, and which ran on Facebook and Instagram..... Meta says that it is committed to “protecting elections and increasing authenticity, transparency and accountability for advertisers,” according to “The Election Integrity at Meta” page. However, by providing the ideological networks with powerful tools to target audiences in battleground states, with loose standards that can be manipulated by partisan actors, Meta has in fact been contributing to the deception.

Data misuse and disinformation: Technology and the 2022 elections

 6/1/2022

Brookings

Samantha Lai

Digital platforms, massive data collection, and increasingly sophisticated software create new ways for bad actors to generate and spread convincing disinformation and misinformation at potentially massive scales, disproportionately hurting marginalized communities. With the 2022 midterm elections around the corner, it is important to revisit how emerging technologies serve to suppress voting rights, and how the U.S. is going about the protection of such democratic ideals.

Data misuse and disinformation: Technology and the 2022 elections

 6/21/2022

Brookings

Samantha Lai

With the U.S. 2022 elections, the same issues over the algorithmic amplification of disinformation and misinformation and microtargeted political ads will once again resurface. Much work remains to be done for the U.S. to rise to the challenge of protecting the integrity of our elections. In response to growing concern over electoral disinformation the U.S. government has worked to established systems to protect election security. This article highlights and addresses a number of such initiatives.

Davos 2024: Extreme weather and misinformation top global risks

 1/11/2024

Reuters

Victoria Waldersee

Risk specialists see extreme weather and misinformation as most likely to trigger a global crisis in the next couple of years, a World Economic Forum (WEF) survey released on Wednesday said. While extreme weather was identified as the bigger risk in 2024, misinformation and disinformation came second and were found to be the most severe global risk over the next two years.

Defending Democracy: Sanctions on Disinformation

 6/12/2025

Rusi

Balazs Gyimesi

Democracies need to fight back against harmful disinformation. Sanctions can be a useful tool to counter malign operations – if enforced correctly. Tackling Russia’s continued attempts to undermine Western democracies requires resilience against disinformation. Russian propaganda has been targeting Western countries by aiming to discredit events such as the Paris Olympics and influence electoral processes, including those of Romania and Moldova, as a recent discussion at RUSI’s Centre for Finance and Security highlighted. The EU sanctions against the Kremlin’s war propaganda show that democracies do have the tools to defend themselves. The European External Action Service recently published its Third Report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threats (FIMI), which also highlights sanctions as part of the EU’s toolbox to combat disinformation.

'Deny, deflect, distract': How Russia spreads disinformation about the war in Ukraine

 1/22/2023

CBC

Alexandra Zabjek

When a missile struck a nine-storey apartment building in the southern Ukrainian city of Dnipro last week, Yevhen Fedchenko knew what to expect from Russian news coverage of the strike. "They immediately started to build disinformation narratives on the top of the story, first of all accusing Ukraine of doing that," Fedchenko told CBC Radio's The House in an interview.

DHS Needs a Unified Strategy to Counter Disinformation Campaigns

 8/10/2022

Office of the Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security began internal and external coordination efforts in 2018 to counter disinformation appearing in social media. These efforts were predominantly focused on disinformation campaigns that pertained to election infrastructure or to distinct mission operations.

Digital Risks to the 2024 Elections: Safeguarding Democracy in the Era of Disinformation

 2/1/2024

NYU Stern Centre

Paul M. Barrett, Cecely Richard-Carvajal, & Justin Hendrix

A new report from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights argues that the leading tech-related threat to this year’s elections stems not from the creation of content with artificial intelligence but from a more familiar source: the distribution of false, hateful, and violent content via social media platforms. Despite the disruptions and violence that roiled the U.S. presidential election in 2020 and Brazil’s election in 2022, major platform companies have retreated from some of their past commitments to promote election integrity.

Disarming Disinformation: Our shared responsibilities

 7/15/2022

US Department of State

Disinformation is one of the Kremlin’s most important and far-reaching weapons. Russia has operationalized the concept of perpetual adversarial competition in the information environment by encouraging the development of a disinformation and propaganda ecosystem. This ecosystem creates and spreads false narratives to strategically advance the Kremlin’s policy goals. There is no subject off-limits to this firehose of falsehoods. Everything from human rights and environmental policy to assassinations and civilian-killing bombing campaigns are fair targets in Russia’s malign playbook.

DISINFO UPDATE 03/04/2024

 3/4/2034

EU Disinfo Lab

Explore a series of stories and articles in this April edition of Disinfo Lab newsletter.

Disinfodigest

 10/5/2022

Disinfowatch

Disinformation narratives deployed by the Russian government in the months leading up to its invasion of Ukraine and afterwards have shifted over the past months to justify its invasion, erode Western support for Ukraine and undermine Western sanctions. In a speech given in early September, Vladimir Putin repeated multiple Russian disinformation narratives, including a blanket denial of Russian responsibility for its invasion of Ukraine and it’s ongoing military operations in Ukraine, stating that “We did not start anything in terms of military action. We are trying to end it.”

Disinformation and Democracy: Detecting Disinformation for Democracy

 9/1/2024

CPAC

Analysts, academics, journalists, activists, and politicians assess the effect of disinformation on our democracy. Experts studying mis-and disinformation share their insights on the impact and spread of disinformation, and its potential amplification through social media and the use of artificial intelligence. The special also looks at how to establish guardrails and find solutions to counter the negative effects of disinformation, with an emphasis on the role of media and citizen engagement. This site contains media releases, articles and a series of videos around a number of themes pertinent to disinformation and democracy.

Disinformation and freedom of expression during armed conflict

 10/19/2022

UN Web TV

At the 77th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression presented her new report on disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression during armed conflicts.

Disinformation and hate speech pave the way for war crimes and genocide: UK statement on Ukraine

 6/21/2022

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

UK Ambassador James Kariuki gave a statement to the United Nations Security Council on Ukraine and how incitement to violence leads to atrocity crimes.

Disinformation and online political violence against women in Brazil

 9/19/2023

Wison Center

Paula Tavares and Gustavo Borges

Gendered disinformation, a distinct form of online gender-based abuse, employs deceptive narratives rooted in gender biases. It predominantly targets women, seeking to dissuade them from active public engagement. This insidious strategy typically combines has elements: falsehood, malicious intent, and coordination, and is often used to achieve political outcomes.

Disinformation Attacks Threaten US Midterm Elections

 10/17/2022

Dark Reading

Robert Lemos

While traditional cyberattack operations against US government organizations have remained fairly consistent, influence and disinformation?attacks by foreign nations have increased in the run-up to the US midterm elections. On the cyberattack front,?the China-linked hacking group Budworm has targeted several government agencies, including the legislature for a US state, over the past six months, according to Symantec, part of Broadcom Software. The attack on a US government organization is the second recent incident — after a hiatus of more than six years — where?the group has targeted a US private-sector agency, the company's researchers stated in an advisory.

Disinformation boom threatens European elections. EU sanctions four more Russian media outlets

 5/15/2024

EU News

Simone De La Feld

With one month to go before the election, there is "a noticeable increase in both the quantity and quality of disinformation campaigns" related to EU policies and its institutions. According to the Digital Media Observatory, they account for 11 per cent of the total disinformation in Europe.

Disinformation Bulletin 98: #PALESTINE

 11/8/2023

DMN: Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye

The Disinformation Bulletin, dated November 8, 2023, and centered around the theme "Palestine Exclusive," was released by the Center for Countering Disinformation within their Directorate.

Disinformation campaigns ahead of election

 10/26/2024

VIDEO: NBC News

Maura Barrett

With just over a week to go before elections, there's a new warning about threats, fake videos and propaganda all aimed at trying to fool voters. NBC News' Maura Barrett reports.

Disinformation can reinforce polarization in society

 1/24/2024

EurekaAlert

With over four billion people eligible to vote in elections, 2024 is the largest election year ever. At the same time, disinformation and polarization on social media pose unprecedented challenges to the democratic process. New research from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki investigated how real-world shocks affect online discussions, using the Ukraine war and Finland’s NATO accession to understand how disinformation reinforces polarization.

Disinformation crisis unit on rapid alert around European elections

 6/4/2024

Guardian

Lisa O’Carroll

EU officials anticipate ‘narratives questioning the legitimacy of the elections’ for weeks afterwards. Debunking, prebunking and factchecking; correcting lies, fake news and race hate – battling disinformation before this week’s European elections has become a high-stakes, full-time job for hundreds of staff across the continent.

Disinformation Day 2022 Considers Pressing Need for Cross-sector Collaboration and New Tools for Fact Checkers

 11/9/2022

University of Texas

Stacey Ingram-Kaleh

October 26, 2022 marked the first annual Disinformation Day hosted by Good Systems’ “Designing Responsible AI Technologies to Curb Disinformation” research team. Approximately 150 attendees from across the globe came together virtually to discuss challenges and opportunities in curbing the spread of digital disinformation. Thought leaders representing a range of disciplines and sectors examined the needs of fact checkers, explored issues of bias, fairness, and justice in mis- and disinformation, and outlined next steps for addressing these pressing issues together.

Disinformation experts blast Trump’s executive order on government censorship as ‘direct assault on reality’

 1/23/2025

CNN

Hadas Gold & Liam Reilly

One of President Donald Trump’s first actions as he returned to the Oval Office on Monday was signing an executive order aimed at “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship” of US citizens. The order bans federal officials from any conduct that “would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen” and instructs the attorney general to investigate if the Biden administration engaged in efforts to censor Americans.

Disinformation is a high-stake game threatening freedom

 7/12/2022

Chatham House

In the second of a series of interviews with the Queen Elizabeth II Academy Faculty, Jessica Cecil examines solutions to disinformation eroding trust in democratic leadership.

Disinformation is a threat to the 2024 elections. Here’s how you can protect yourself and others

 4/9/2024

Oregon Capital Chronicle

Michelle Beaver

During this election season, Oregonians could potentially play a crucial role in determining which party will control the U.S. House, as voters across the nation decide the occupants of the White House. However, as observed in 2020 and 2022, communities faced the challenge of disinformation campaigns, which aimed to sow distrust, manipulate voters, and potentially undermine their influence at the ballot box. A collective effort to combat disinformation is essential.

Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat in 2024 – and the U.S. is less ready than ever

 1/18/2024

NBC

Brandy Zadrozny

Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat to democracy in the United States in 2024, according to researchers, technologists and political scientists. As the presidential election approaches, experts warn that a convergence of events at home and abroad, on traditional and social media — and amid an environment of rising authoritarianism, deep distrust, and political and social unrest — makes the dangers from propaganda, falsehoods and conspiracy theories more dire than ever.

Disinformation Swirls on Social Media After Trump Rally Shooting

 7/14/2024

BNN Bloomberg

Davey Alba

Moments after former President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage after shots were fired at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, unfounded claims about the event swirled on major social media platforms. The posts, including some written by US politicians holding elected office, claimed without proof that President Joe Biden had ordered an apparent shooting at the rally. Others baselessly stated that the incident was staged, or circulated posts misidentifying the shooter.

Disinformation Threats in 2024 Elections

 5/1/2024

Adata Pro

From political propaganda to misleading health advice, the spread of false information can have far-reaching consequences, undermining trust in institutions, influencing public opinion, and even jeopardising lives. This is especially true in 2024, a year when the outcome of pending events such as the EU Parliamentary elections in June and the United States presidential election in November will influence not only people living in these countries but also those living in areas with ongoing conflicts.

Disinformation: new actions from online platforms and extension of the monitoring programme

The Commission announces today the extension of its Coronavirus disinformation monitoring programme for another six months until June 2022, as it publishes the latest reports by online platforms on their actions taken between September and October.