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Information warfare\u00a0abounds, and everyone online has been drafted<\/a>\u00a0whether they know it or not.<\/p>\n Disinformation is deliberately generated misleading content disseminated for selfish or malicious purposes. Unlike misinformation, which may be shared unwittingly or with good intentions, disinformation aims to foment distrust, destabilize institutions,\u00a0discredit good intentions<\/a>, defame opponents and delegitimize sources of knowledge such as science and journalism.<\/p>\n Many governments engage in disinformation campaigns. For instance, the Russian government has\u00a0used images of celebrities<\/a>\u00a0to attract attention to anti-Ukraine propaganda. Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, warned on Nov. 30, 2023, that China\u00a0has stepped up its disinformation operations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Disinformation is\u00a0nothing new<\/a>, and information warfare has been practiced by many countries,\u00a0including the U.S.<\/a>\u00a0But the internet gives disinformation campaigns unprecedented reach.\u00a0Foreign governments<\/a>,\u00a0internet trolls<\/a>, domestic and international\u00a0extremists<\/a>,\u00a0opportunistic profiteers<\/a>\u00a0and even\u00a0paid disinformation agencies<\/a>\u00a0exploit the internet to spread questionable content. Periods of\u00a0civil unrest<\/a>,\u00a0natural disasters<\/a>,\u00a0health<\/a>\u00a0crises and\u00a0wars<\/a>\u00a0trigger anxiety<\/a>\u00a0and the hunt for information, which disinformation agents take advantage of.<\/p>\n