Disinformation
False, distributed intentionally to deceive. The producer knows it is wrong and distributes it anyway. Remedies: identification, attribution, exposure of the producer.
Misinformation
False, distributed by people who believe it. Most factually wrong content shared during a crisis is misinformation, not disinformation. The remedy is correction and context, not takedown.
Malinformation
True, distributed in a way intended to harm. Decontextualised real footage, real leaks framed selectively, real footage of one event presented as another. The fact base is real; the deception is in the use.
Why the distinction matters
- Disinformation requires identifying intent. Misinformation does not.
- Misinformation is mostly a literacy problem. Disinformation is mostly an enforcement problem.
- Malinformation cannot be addressed by "is this true?" alone — the relevant question is "is this being used in good faith?".