How Misinformation and Disinformation are influencing Americans
through social media

What is the definition of Misinformation and Disinformation? Misinformation is incorrect information falsely believed to be true. It is passed innocently and is actually sometimes intended to help people. Disinformation is incorrect information, intended to mislead or used as propoganda/a way to potentially cause uprisings . It can also be an attempt to make profits.

What is the difference between Misinformation and Disinformation? The difference between Misinformation and Disinformation is the intention. Misinformation is believed to be true and is passed innocently/is intended for good purposes. People know disinformation is false, and they spread it with malicious intentions.

How are both of these a problem for social media users? Both of these are a problem for social media users because misinformation and disinformation are spread through social media and there is a chance that the social media users believe the false information. Even worse, there is a chance that the people who see it send the false information to their friends/other social media users.

How are they being spread on social media? Misinformation and disinformation are spread on social media by fake accounts/bots. They target a specific group of people who will most likely believe the false information and spread it manually to other people.

How is AI involved with the spread on social media? Modern AI has the ability to generate fake information geared towards a certain type of people/audience.

How is video and audio part of the problem? Audio and video are part of the problem because modern technology allows deepfakes to be made. For example, in an already existing image, a video can be replaced and look like someone else, deceiving people more effectively. Also, there is software that allows a person to sound like someone else, another effective way of deceiving.

Who is spreading Misinformation and Disinformation and why? The main spreaders of Misinformation/Disinformation are fake social media accounts and politicians. Things are spread via social media because there are a lot of people online, and the chances are high that some people believe the false info and spread it to others. Some reasons for spreading this false information are because they are trying to influence people (control elections, trash public figures’ reputation etc.).

How is fake news related to Misinformation and Disinformation? Fake news is misinformation and disinformation that is broadcasted and seen by the public. Examples of this include people using deepfakes to create video/audio that would influence people, or using fake social media accounts for the same purposes.

Why do people fall for it? People fall for fake news/misinformation/disinformation because of cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are faulty reasoning, remembering, or evaluating - it doesn’t have to do with gullibility. This can lead to conclusions people would not have made otherwise.