Disinformation Campaigns

During the Second World War, the British developed a new secret radar technology called Airborne Interceptor Radar that allowed them to detect and attack German bombers before they reached the English Channel. It was in the Allies' best interests to keep this a secret. You wouldn't want Germans trying to develop the technology for themselves, or disrupting the supply chain used to build them would you? To distract German spies from discovering the secret of AI radar, the Allies invented an alternative explanation; they said that their pilots had better eyesight and night vision because they ate lots of carrots!

This is disinformation: myths and falsehoods that are spread with the intention of sowing distraction, confusion and chaos. And now the internet has given us a pipeline to spread all kinds of information with minimal gatekeeping or fact-checking included. It's a great time to be a spreader of disinformation!

When you think of misinformation, you probably imagine quack doctors saying COVID is fake or conspiracy theories about the Earth being flat. But these are small fries next to the capabilities of governments and corporations who can allocate huge defense, marketing, and lobbying budgets to the goal of shaping our perceptions. Disinformation is big business, and there is profit to be made in controlling the public understanding of politics, climate change, nutrition, social justice and economics.

What are the most harmful examples of disinformation campaigns and how can we fight against them?

Excerpt

The word disinformation refers to myths and falsehoods that are spread with the intention of sowing distraction, confusion and chaos. And now the internet has given us a pipeline to spread all kinds of information with minimal gatekeeping or fact-checking included. It's a great time to be a spreader of disinformation!

Suggested Reading

• Wikipedia: Disinformation
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation
• U.S. Gov. Report: Russia's Pillars of Disinformation
  https://www.state.gov/russias-pillars-of-disinformation-and-propaganda-report/
• Wikipedia: Foundations of Geopolitics
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Geopolitics

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