Disinformation

Extracted Attributes

• Tactics

  Forged documents, front groups, half-truths, and media manipulation.

• Contrast

  Misinformation (unintentional error) and Malinformation (deliberate publication of private info).

• Definition

  False or misleading information deliberately spread to deceive or secure gain.

• Primary Actors

  Government intelligence agencies, NGOs, and businesses.

• Historical Origin

  1923, Soviet Union (KGB) under I.S. Unshlikht.

• Regulatory Frameworks

  EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and UK Online Safety Act (OSA).

Timeline

• I.S. Unshlikht proposes the establishment of a special disinformation office for the GPU (KGB). (Source: Merriam-Webster)

  1923-01-01

• COVID-19 pandemic begins, leading to increased content moderation under the pretext of fighting disinformation. (Source: Document 67c2c2ba-1453-491e-b2bd-3a64716d2874)

  2020-03-11

• The EEAS begins analyzing Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) incidents, identifying Russia as a central actor. (Source: DW Akademie)

  2022-10-01

• CSI Library updates definitions for Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation. (Source: CSI Library)

  2025-08-26

• USA Today reports on the Stop Hiding Hate Act compelling companies to combat disinformation. (Source: Merriam-Webster)

  2025-12-30

• The Atlantic reports on AI systems being used as tools for generating disinformation and sowing chaos. (Source: Merriam-Webster)

  2026-01-05

Disinformation

Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately spread to deceive people, or to secure economic or political gain and which may cause public harm. Disinformation is an orchestrated adversarial activity in which actors employ strategic deceptions and media manipulation tactics to advance political, military, or commercial goals. Disinformation is implemented through coordinated campaigns that "weaponize multiple rhetorical strategies and forms of knowing—including not only falsehoods but also truths, half-truths, and value judgements—to exploit and amplify culture wars and other identity-driven controversies." In contrast, misinformation refers to inaccuracies that stem from inadvertent error. Misinformation can be used to create disinformation when known misinformation is purposefully and intentionally disseminated. "Fake news" has sometimes been categorized as a type of disinformation, but scholars have advised not using these two terms interchangeably or using "fake news" altogether in academic writing since politicians have weaponized it to describe any unfavorable news coverage or information.

Web Search Results

• Disinformation

  Disinformation is primarily carried out by government intelligence agencies, but has also been used by non-governmental organizations and businesses. Front groups are a form of disinformation, as they mislead the public about their true objectives and who their controllers are. Most recently, disinformation has been deliberately spread through social media in the form of "fake news", disinformation masked as legitimate news articles and meant to mislead readers or viewers. Disinformation may include distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or spreading dangerous rumours and fabricated "Fabrication (science)") intelligence. Use of these tactics can lead to blowback "Blowback (intelligence)"), however, causing such unintended consequences such as defamation lawsuits [...] Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately spread to deceive people, or to secure economic or political gain and which may cause public harm. Disinformation is an orchestrated adversarial activity in which actors employ strategic deceptions and media manipulation tactics to advance political, military, or commercial goals. Disinformation is implemented through coordinated campaigns that "weaponize multiple rhetorical strategies and forms of knowing—including not only falsehoods but also truths, half-truths, and value judgements—to exploit and amplify culture wars and other identity-driven controversies." [...] ## Practice [edit] Disinformation is the label often given to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). Studies on disinformation are often concerned with the content of activity whereas the broader concept of FIMI is more concerned with the "behaviour of an actor" that is described through the military doctrine concept of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

• Overview - Disinformation - LibGuides at MIT Libraries

  ## What is Disinformation? Disinformation, also called propaganda or fake news, refers to any form of communication that is intended to mislead. The information in the communication is purposefully false or contains a misrepresentation of the truth. Disinformation can be used by individuals, companies, media outlets, and even government agencies. Types of Disinformation [...] Misleading content, or information and half-truths presented in such a way as to place a person or an issue in a negative light. Imposter content, or information from a source that deliberately impersonates a known and trustworthy source. False content, where legitimate, truthful content is mixed with intentionally false content to give credibility to the false content. Fabricated content, or information that is composed completely of information the source knows to be false. False connection, or information that implies something in a headline, photo, video clip, or caption that is not a fair representation of the body of the article or other content. [...] Quoted from: Ungvarsky, J. (2020). Disinformation. In Salem Press Encyclopedia. Salem Press. ## Learn More Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America by Barbara McQuade ISBN: 9781644214756 Publication Date: 2025 Disinformation, Misinformation, and Fake News in Social Media: Emerging research challenges and opportunities by Shu ISBN: 9783030426996 Publication Date: 2020 Disinformation and fake news by Jayakumar ISBN: 9789811558764 Publication Date: 2021 Disinformation in Open Media Online by Second Multidisciplinary International Symposium ISBN: 9783030618414 Publication Date: 2020 A History of Disinformation in the U.S by Joseph R. Hayden ISBN: 1032330511

• Disinformation: Current definitions and examples - DW Akademie

  Also new is the way in which disinformation has become an ideological and inflationary umbrella term that covers a wide range of diverse phenomena, including hate speech, rumors, conspiracy theories, attempts to influence elections, medical misinformation or state propaganda. Often, the term disinformation is abused by the powerful to discredit those who produce verified information or hold opposing views, including politicians, journalists, human rights activists and scientists. Politicians can even benefit from an informational environment saturated with misinformation. The concept, known as liar's dividend, posits that public figures and politicians can maintain support by falsely claiming that true events and stories are fake news, deepfakes or simply disinformation. [...] The term puts emphasis on the manipulative behavior and campaigns in traditional and digital media by foreign actors to undermine democratic values. These behaviors include, for example, the falsification of user accounts in social media or the artificial amplification of reach. In its first comprehensive report of FIMI the EEAS identified and analyzed around 100 FIMI incidents between October and December 2022. The report identifies Russia as a central actor. [...] Google acknowledges that disinformation means different things to different people but notes "it is one thing to be wrong about an issue. It is another to purposefully disseminate information one knows to be inaccurate with the hope that others believe it is true or to create discord in society. We refer to these deliberate efforts to deceive and mislead using the speed, scale, and technologies of the open web as "disinformation"." Facebook has adopted the following definitions: Misinformation: refers to misleading content (false news, manipulated content, etc) Disinformation: provably false information used by someone who knows it is false Influence operation: coordinated effort to manipulate or corrupt public debate for a strategic goal

• DISINFORMATION Definition & Meaning

  this secret 'science,' giving it a French-sounding name and pretending it was a dirty Western practice" (Ion Mihai Pacepa and Ronald J. Rychlak, Disinformation [Washington, D.C., 2013], p. 4). Martin J. Manning, in Historical Dictionary of American Propaganda (Westport, CT, 2004), pushes the word back still further: "Disinformation as a KGB weapon began in 1923 when I.S. Unshlikht, Deputy Chairman of the GPU, then the name of the KGB, proposed the establishment of a 'special disinformation office to conduct active intelligence operations ….' " No source is given for this quotation. The English word disinformation as a translation of the Russian one appears to have been introduced in an article written for the Saturday Evening Post under the byline of Walter Krivitsky, a Soviet [...] Act, which compelled companies to outline steps taken to combat extremism, disinformation and other potentially harmful content. —Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disinformation [...] The current systems are patient, amoral, and fantastic at mimicry, making them among the greatest tools in history for generating mis- and disinformation—the latter of which is a tremendous weapon, not necessarily for its ability to persuade and convince, but for its ability to sow chaos. —Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026 One viral post isn’t enough, and disinformation thrives on speed. —Philip Jankowski, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026 So say many, including Timothy Richardson, a former Washington Post reporter and now program director for journalism and disinformation at PEN America. —David Bauder, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025 The company sued the state of New York in June over the Stop Hiding Hate Act, which compelled companies to outline steps taken to

• Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation - CSI Library

  ## Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation Misinformation: unintentional mistakes such as inaccurate photo captions, dates, statistics, translations, or when satire is taken seriously. This type of "wrong" information is accidental and is not intended to harm. Disinformation: fabricated or deliberately manipulated audio/visual content. Intentionally created conspiracy theories or rumours. This type of "wrong" information is deliberately shared to harm or deceive a person. Malinformation: Deliberate publication of private information for personal or corporate rather than public interest, such as revenge porn. Deliberate change of context, date or time of genuine content. Next: Definitions of Terms >> Last Updated: Aug 26, 2025 3:06 PM URL: Print Page;)

• Instance Of

  Q4167410