Disinformation is a set of carefully constructed false messages leaked to an adversary’s communications system. The purpose is to deceive the decision-making elite, specific communities, or publics. There are profound geostrategic motivations for disinformation campaigns and they’ve been around for a long time.

Disinformation is especially powerful when disseminated through traditional media or endorsed by trusted figures, such as political or religious leaders, military personnel, judges, or other respected community members. The rise of social media has made it easier and cheaper for disinformation to reach global audiences in real-time, often amplified by bots and trolls.

The consequences of disinformation are far-reaching: it can exacerbate political divisions, erode trust between citizens, elected officials, and institutions, promote foreign government agendas, and create confusion and distrust over legitimate information sources.

Disinformation weakens democratic governance and stymies collective action, both domestically and internationally, by undermining cooperation and shared understanding of facts. As disinformation campaigns fracture alliances and challenge global stability, it is crucial for the international community to confront this growing threat. Coordinated efforts are essential to safeguard the integrity of information and ensure that disinformation does not compromise global security.