Today’s digital world is filled with informational challenges and understanding all about information threats is vital for getting through a crisis with no or minimal damage.
When an information crisis is made worse by information pollution, there are far-reaching consequences. They include the disruption of communication, trust, and effective decision-making, all of which have numerous additional negative outcomes.
So, starting from the bottom and working our way up, what exactly are we talking about when we say information crisis?
The term information crisis is attributed to a situation when the reliability and/or flow of information becomes deliberately disrupted, with the aim of sewing confusion, misinformation and general mistrust. Such crises can stem from either side of the spectrum, from unintentional roots like poor communication or misread data, to all out targeted disinformation campaigns.
In the 21st century, this phenomenon has obviously been amplified by the presence of technology and social media in particular, leading to potentially very serious political, societal and even economic consequences.
You will often find examples of such information crises in the fields of public health and governmental elections, or even amidst the aftermath of natural disasters around the globe.
The view has long been held that the only real way to address this problem is through a combination of clear communication, transparency from authoritative powers, and a solid trust in the most credible sources.
The definition of misinformation is inaccurate or false information that is spread, but doesn’t necessarily do so with malicious intent. Regardless, there are some devastating consequences to consider when misinformation is shared during a crisis.
- Public panic: inaccurate content can lead to mass panic, which may cause resources to be used ineffectively.
- Healthcare risks: in medical emergencies, such as during a pandemic, misinformation about treatment can endanger people’s lives.
- Economic disaster: information regarding the economy that is misleading can lead to destabilization in different types of industries across all sectors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation regarding vaccines interfered with useful public health campaigns. During natural disasters, such as hurricanes or tropical storms, misinformation can complicate rescue efforts when it shares fake details about evacuations and other safety measures.
Unlike misinformation, disinformation is deliberate and involves the spread of fake news designed to mislead, deceive and manipulate. So what is the difference between misinformation and disinformation? While they both mislead their viewers, disinformation is calculated and is deliberately spread with the intent to cause harm.
Key Drivers:
- Influence operations: efforts that are organized specifically to manipulate narratives and change perceptions.
- Propaganda: uses crises to exploit advanced ideologies, including political, and ideological and for financial gain.
Platforms Involved:
- Social media: works to amplify the reach of disinformation.
- Traditional media: exploited as a way to add credibility to misinformation.
- Messaging apps: encryption makes it easier to spread unchecked content.
Paying attention to an informational influence crisis requires those in positions of power to have an effective and streamlined strategy in place.
- Rapid response: Quickly counter disinformation as soon as it’s flagged to keep it from spreading.
- Transparency: be sure that all communication is factual, clear, and consistent.
- Collaboration: engage a variety of audiences, including governments, tech companies, and NGOs in efforts to counter misinformation.
- Monitor information: working with an information monitoring company to keep track of narratives and content.
- Educate the general public: teach people to tell the difference between fact and fiction with media literacy campaigns.
- Use AI tools: enhance the identification of misinformation and make use of analysis tools.
I am CEO of a national retailer in The Netherlands. Why should this be of interest to me? I have nothing to do with the USA, Russia or China! We say read on!
Founded In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, Osavul is an innovative platform that specializes in crisis-driven strategies to counteract information pollution. Using advanced technology, stakeholders can respond to misinformation promptly.
Russia’s previous track record in fake news and disinformation, particularly concerning the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, along with similar actions by their cohorts China and North Korea was the trigger for the world to be on alert with this new crisis and fresh attempts to destabilize the West.For visual reference, this kind of infographic is a prime example of the kind of narratives that Russian disinformation worked to embed during the peak period of the pandemic.
What is required in the fight against such insidious and unfortunately powerful material is a set of accessible digital tools that can equip users with the ability to counter the potential effects in real time. The faster false narratives and spreading fake news can be addressed, the smaller its national or international impact will be.
- Real time monitoring: identifies and sends alerts that pertain to misinformation threats.
- Data analysis: scans for and flags patterns that predict campaigns that spread disinformation.
- Customizable tools: created for specific industries and certain types of crises.
Osavul has dedicated tools that are designed with governments and companies in mind. These tools work by countering misinformation and disinformation but will equally work for SMEs in the NGO arena.
The options are:
- Governments: Osavul information security for governments.
- Companies: Osavul information security for companies.
Benefits:
- Improved trust: create confidence among the stakeholders.
- Enhanced security: protect both operations and reputations for businesses and governments.
- Proactive measures: stay on top of potential threats before they become a problem.
In terms of tangible success, Osavul notably aided in the fight against Russian disinformation through analysis performed in what was known as the ‘Maidan 3’ operation. This was a Russian led attack that focused on destabilizing Ukrainian society through the spreading of false narratives. The platform utilized the very best of AI to help recognize and analyse the suspicious information as it was spreading, which led to Ukrainian officials being able to more swiftly and succinctly counteract the falsehoods.
Artificial intelligence has a strong role to play in an information crisis situation. It is able to detect and prevent misinformation in the following ways:
- Natural language processing: sees in real time to identify harmful narratives.
- Machine learning models: look for and flag patterns and trends in information pollution.
- Chatbots: work to counter disinformation with accurate and automatic responses.
Applications:
- Content verification: identifies and flags misinformation before it spreads.
- Social media scrutiny: AI works to monitor a variety of platforms so swift action can be taken when necessary.
- Behavioral analysis: detects efforts at spreading disinformation.
Countering disinformation and misinformation is a commitment that means a long term dedication to building resilience. How exactly does that work? Here are some examples of what is needed on a wider scale to achieve success:
- Public awareness campaigns: present information to the general public about information threats and encourage critical thinking.
- Institutional training: gives organizations resources that enable them to identify and address information crises.
- Cross-sector collaboration: bring business, education, and governments together to work together to deal with issues caused by misinformation and disinformation.
Practical Steps:
- Workshops and seminars: this offers a secure place to have a conversation about misinformation, both to educate and create solutions.
- Media literacy programs: these programs teach the general public how to evaluate information so they can separate fact from fiction.
- International partnerships: share best practices and general knowledge on a global scale.
An information crisis is complex and requires an approach that is innovative, vigilant, and which leaves plenty of room for cooperation among those involved. Using Osavul makes this process easier by helping users gain an understanding of information threats and all that they entail. The result is stakeholders who are equipped to contribute to a world that is both well informed and resilient.
