We’ve all come across false information online, but not all false information is created equally. While some misleading claims are harmless, others can shape opinions, influence elections, public policy, or even put lives at risk. Understanding the difference between misinformation and disinformation is key to making informed decisions and avoiding the spread of false information.

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information, shared without the intent to deceive. It is often spread by individuals who believe that the information they are sharing is true.  An example might be a friend sharing information about a health claim they heard on a podcast, such as “drinking celery juice cures all diseases”, or “this supplement will make you live longer”. Although they mean well, the claim isn’t backed by science. Misinformation can also be spread by misinterpreting, overstating or cherry picking findings from scientific studies - “Nobody in this study, that died of heart disease, drank celery juice, so celery juice must prevent heart disease!”

Misinformation can spread easily because it can sound credible, play into existing beliefs, or be shared by someone we trust.

Disinformation, on the other hand, is false information that is deliberately intended to mislead, manipulate or cause harm. It is often used in political propaganda, some news media, and coordinated campaigns designed to influence public opinion. 

The spread of misinformation and disinformation can have wide-reaching negative consequences for trust and knowledge in areas of:

• Public health - such as vaccine myths or disease misinformation 
• Climate change science - denying or minimising scientific evidence can impact mitigation efforts
• Geopolitical issues - propaganda based on false narratives about conflict

It can be difficult to know how to navigate misinformation and disinformation. But knowing ways to combat misinformation, and awareness and acknowledgement of our own personal biases, can help us be less susceptible to believing and spreading misinformation, and identifying disinformation.

Just because something seems true doesn’t always mean it is. It can be a good idea to pause before sharing information, especially if it could impact important decision-making such as health decisions. 

Here are some steps to protect yourself:

1. Check the credibility of the source

What are the person’s qualifications/ accreditations? Reliable information is backed by experts, research, or multiple trustworthy sources.

2. Are they citing research to back up their claims?

If you want to dig deeper, you can look further into the study: 

• Who were the participants? Are they human, or non-human species?  (e.g. study findings on animals can’t be generalised to humans). 
• Were there certain participant sample characteristics that may impact its generalisability? (e.g. studies conducted only with a male sample, or from a certain geographic region, or health status). 
• How many participants? Was there a sample size large enough to demonstrate a meaningful effect?
• Have the findings been replicated? Replicated findings give us more confidence in the study's findings. 

3. Be aware of your biases

We’re more likely to believe things that align with our own expectations and beliefs. It can be helpful to identify our expectations, preexisting beliefs or values that might impact how you receive information. Read more on biases in this article: Social media and the spread of misinformation

Want to learn more? Read our articles on: 

• The psychology of misinformation: why we believe fake news
• Social media and the spread of misinformation
• Protect yourself against misinformation
• Checking the credibility of information

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