University of Kwazulu-Natal

Correction Combatting Disinformation How Do We Create Resilient

Bonisiwe Shabane
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correction combatting disinformation how do we create resilient

You have full access to this open access article A Correction to this article was published on 31 May 2025 This article addresses the critical issue of societal resilience in the face of disinformation, particularly in highly digitized democratic societies. Recognizing the escalating impact of disinformation as a significant threat to societal security, the study conducts a scoping review of the literature from 2018 to 2022 to explore the current understanding and approaches to... The core contribution of the article is the development of a preliminary typological framework that addresses key elements and issue areas relevant to societal resilience to disinformation. This framework spans multiple dimensions, including legal/regulatory, educational, political/governance, psychological/social-psychological, and technological domains.

By synthesizing existing knowledge and filling identified gaps, the framework aims to serve as a foundational tool for empirical analyses and the enhancement of resilience strategies. One of the innovative aspects of the proposed framework is its potential to be transformed into a computable and customizable tool. This tool would measure the maturity level of various countermeasures against disinformation, thereby providing a practical methodology for planning and implementing effective democratic responses to disinformation. The article emphasizes the importance of this framework as both a conceptual and practical guide. It offers valuable insights for a wide range of civil society actors, including policymakers, educators, and technologists, in their efforts to protect information integrity and bolster societal resilience. By laying the groundwork for a more comprehensive understanding of societal resilience to disinformation, the article contributes to the broader discourse on information protection and provides actionable guidance for addressing the evolving challenges posed...

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript. In highly digitized democratic societies, there are growing concerns about the impact of disinformation. European countries have faced significant challenges related to disinformation issues, such as elections, fundamental democratic values, pandemics, and migration, among others. This has prompted the European Commission (2018a) to outline four pillars in its action plan on tackling online disinformation. These include improving institutional capabilities, fostering coordinated responses, engaging the private sector, and raising awareness. The Digital Services Act (European Union 2022) has binding regulatory powers to address large social media platforms, for instance, if they are deemed to be promoting and disseminating disinformation.

However, the effectiveness of these measures remains uncertain. The Global Risks Report 2024 by the World Economic Forum (2024) clearly illustrates this, ranking disinformation as the most severe short-term (2-year) global risk and placing societal polarization in third place – with both... The Administration promised free expression. The results were anything but more freedom. With more than 22K instances since 2021, the bans have become normalized. Thu.

December 4 at The Strand Bookstore in NYC The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes 12 emerging writers each year for their debut short story Local censorship tactics are being adopted on the state and federal levels The Contagion of Falsehoods: How Misinformation Spreads Like a Virus and What We Can Do About It In today’s interconnected world, where information flows at an unprecedented rate, the spread of misinformation poses a significant threat to individuals and society as a whole.

Shaon Lahiri, an assistant professor in the College of Charleston Department of Public Health Sciences and Administration, likens the spread of misinformation to a viral contagion, exploiting social connections and emotional vulnerabilities to propagate... Just as a virus can infect and spread through a population, misinformation can insidiously infiltrate our minds, shaping our beliefs, behaviors, and ultimately, the very fabric of our social reality. Lahiri’s research delves into the intricate dynamics of social influence, exploring how individual behaviors are shaped by prevailing social norms and network processes. His work draws striking parallels between the spread of misinformation and the phenomenon of mass psychogenic illness, where physical symptoms spread through social networks in the absence of an organic cause. Although distinct phenomena, both misinformation and mass psychogenic illness highlight the powerful influence of social connections in disseminating beliefs and behaviors, whether accurate or unfounded. This interconnectedness creates pathways for rapid transmission, allowing ideas, both true and false, to quickly permeate communities.

The analogy to viral transmission provides a powerful framework for understanding the mechanisms by which misinformation spreads. Just as viruses exploit vulnerabilities in our immune systems, misinformation preys on our cognitive biases, emotional vulnerabilities, and the inherent trust we place in our social networks. Lahiri emphasizes that our susceptibility to misinformation isn’t merely a product of individual gullibility; rather, it’s a consequence of the complex interplay between individual psychology and the social environment. We are wired to trust information shared by those within our social circles, making us particularly vulnerable to misinformation propagated by friends, family, and trusted influencers. The insidious nature of misinformation lies in its ability to mimic truth, often cloaking fabricated narratives in the guise of credible sources or emotionally charged appeals. Sensationalized headlines, manipulated images, and selective presentation of facts can all contribute to the spread of false information.

This “infodemic” poses a serious threat to public health, influencing everything from vaccine hesitancy and harmful health practices to political polarization and social unrest. The consequences of misinformation can be far-reaching, eroding trust in institutions, fueling conflict, and hindering our ability to address critical societal challenges. This article addresses the critical issue of societal resilience in the face of disinformation, particularly in highly digitized democratic societies. Recognizing the escalating impact of disinformation as a significant threat to societal security, the study conducts a scoping review of the literature from 2018 to 2022 to explore the current understanding and approaches to... The core contribution of the article is the development of a preliminary typological framework that addresses key elements and issue areas relevant to societal resilience to disinformation. This framework spans multiple dimensions, including legal/regulatory, educational, political/governance, psychological/social-psychological, and technological domains.

By synthesizing existing knowledge and filling identified gaps, the framework aims to serve as a foundational tool for empirical analyses and the enhancement of resilience strategies. One of the innovative aspects of the proposed framework is its potential to be transformed into a computable and customizable tool. This tool would measure the maturity level of various countermeasures against disinformation, thereby providing a practical methodology for planning and implementing effective democratic responses to disinformation. The article emphasizes the importance of this framework as both a conceptual and practical guide. It offers valuable insights for a wide range of civil society actors, including policymakers, educators, and technologists, in their efforts to protect information integrity and bolster societal resilience. By laying the groundwork for a more comprehensive understanding of societal resilienceto disinformation, the article contributes to the broader discourse on informationprotection and provides actionable guidance for addressing the evolving challengesposed by disinformation in...

A high-level, evidence-informed guide to some of the major proposals for how democratic governments, platforms, and others can counter disinformation. The Technology and International Affairs Program develops insights to address the governance challenges and large-scale risks of new technologies. Our experts identify actionable best practices and incentives for industry and government leaders on artificial intelligence, cyber threats, cloud security, countering influence operations, reducing the risk of biotechnologies, and ensuring global digital inclusion. The goal of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations (PCIO) is to foster evidence-based policymaking to counter threats in the information environment. Key roadblocks as found in our work include the lack of: transparency reporting to inform what data is available for research purposes; rules guiding how data can be shared with researchers and for what... Carnegie’s Information Environment Project is a multistakeholder effort to help policymakers understand the information environment, think through the impact of efforts to govern it, and identify promising interventions to foster democracy.

Disinformation is widely seen as a pressing challenge for democracies worldwide. Many policymakers are grasping for quick, effective ways to dissuade people from adopting and spreading false beliefs that degrade democratic discourse and can inspire violent or dangerous actions. Yet disinformation has proven difficult to define, understand, and measure, let alone address.

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You have full access to this open access article A Correction to this article was published on 31 May 2025 This article addresses the critical issue of societal resilience in the face of disinformation, particularly in highly digitized democratic societies. Recognizing the escalating impact of disinformation as a significant threat to societal security, the study conducts a scoping review of the l...

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Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript. In highly digitized democratic societies, there are growing concerns about the impact of disinformation. European countries have faced significant challenges related to disinformation issues, such as elections, fundamental democratic values, pandemics, and migration, among others. This has prompted the European Commission (2018a) to outline four pillars in...

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