Making sense of misinformation and disinformation as war rages in Ukraine

Russia has been at war with Ukraine for more than a week. In that time, thousands of pictures, videos, and claims–including misinformation and disinformation–have spread across social media. That flood can create information overload, and not all of that information is reliable.

Misinformation vs. Disinformation

The main difference between misinformation and disinformation is intent.

Misinformation is false content shared by someone who doesn’t realize that it’s wrong

Disinformation is false content shared with malicious intent. It’s created to seem legitimate but designed to mislead or manipulate viewers.