DISINFORMATION

        With the advent of technology in this modern era, its prominence has become substantially evident in all facets of human life. After decades of development, technologies such as television, smartphones, computers, and many more served as the mainstream for providing information to the public. However, it has now become prone to one of the most concerning contemporary issues worldwide; disinformation. 

 

        As disinformation propagates, so does the inherent inclusion of misinformation in our technological breakthroughs. Although there is only one letter distinguishing these two terms, frequently used indiscriminately, there is a crucial distinction between them: intent. To begin with, misinformation is classified as erroneous information that is disseminated without any deliberate attempt to deceive people. This is due to the inherent imperfection of human psychology, which causes us to forget, misinterpret, or grossly misrepresent specifics. Conversely, misinformation is defined as a deliberate endeavour to mislead through the transmission of biased information, fabricated stories or claims, propaganda, etc. This stems from a multitude of sinister motives, one of which in particular is when a government spreads false news as an egregious act of covert socio-political subversion. Disinformation is a common espionage technique that is extremely potent, disruptive, and polarising, making its suppression significantly salient.