Post 10- EOTO Terms & Concepts: Disinformation

What is Disinformation, and how does it negatively affect the public? 

            Disinformation can be defined as "false or misleading information that is spread deliberately to deceive." The English word disinformation stems from the Russian word "dezinformatsiya," which is derived from the title of a Stalin KGB propaganda department used in the Cold War during the 1920s. Although 100 years later, the spread of disinformation has become easier in the age of the internet and social media.

            Consequently, the rise of social media has made disinformation more prevalent and easier to spread. Due to this, tech companies are trying to block and censor false content. The content is often put out by bots and fake accounts posing as real people, pushing forward a false narrative. A recent example of this on Twitter is an incident that occurred with congressman Dean Browning from PA. 

He tweeted the following statement."What Trump built in 4 years, Biden will destroy in 4 months." 

Another Twitter user then responded saying, "You mean what Obama built in 8 years, Trump trying to take credit for the first 3 years. Trump destroyed in 3 months with help from the "Trump virus"! Biden now has to rid the country of the "Trump Virus"! Stay away from Drugs Dean! You're clearly high!"

Browning then responded with the following tweet, which went viral:

            In an effort to support his first tweet and combat opposing views, Browning intended to post the above tweet on his fake "burner" Twitter account but instead posted it on his own page in error. Embarrassed by what he had done and trying to save face, he posted the following tweet as another decoy to make himself appear more reputable.

            Browning's claim was later debunked, as there was no person who sent him the Tweet in his direct message. Summarizing the Twitter debacle, below is a humorous Tik Tok commentator video who was able to document the whole ordeal.

            Although this incident appears humorous, it's anything but. This is just one of many disinformation tweets and claims, and this one was caught but unfortunately many go undiscovered and continue to be passed along. In a recent study, it showed "Fake news spreads faster and more widely than true news, according to a study examining how 126,000 news items circulated among 3 million Twitter users." Part of what makes misinformation so dangerous is the way it targets people. It works by targeting those that would be most interested in the false information, usually saying what the reader wants to hear. Disinformation works similar to conformation bias in that way. 

            In all, the real issue with disinformation is its ability to polarize and separate our country, leaving our democracy vulnerable. 

Sources: 

https://www.npr.org/2019/12/30/790144099/disinformation-is-the-word-of-the-year-and-a-sign-of-what-s-to-come

https://renewamericatogether.org/blog/what-is-disinformation/

https://disinformationindex.org/

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/11/10/21559458/dean-browning-dan-purdy-byl-holte-patti-labelle-twitter-gay-black-man

https://futureforce.navylive.dodlive.mil/2020/03/dezinformatsiya-and-the-cold-war/

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02934-x