The main difference between misinformation and disinformation is intent. Misinformation is false or misleading information shared by someone who believes it is true, while disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately spread to deceive or manipulate others. For example, someone who knowingly creates a fake news story to influence an election is spreading disinformation. However, someone who believes that story and shares it with friends is spreading misinformation. Both can cause harm by misleading the public, influencing decisions, and undermining trust in reliable information, but only disinformation necessarily involves intentional deception.
Misinformation is inaccurate or misleading information shared without the intention to deceive.
Imagine scrolling through social media and seeing a post claiming that a new law has passed. The post looks legitimate, and it was shared by someone you trust.
Believing the information is accurate, you repost it to your followers.
Unfortunately, the law never passed.
You've now spread misinformation, even though you had no intention of misleading anyone.
Pauline Hoffman, an infodemiologist and author of Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories, explains that people often share misinformation because they genuinely believe what they're sharing is true.
The important distinction is that someone can spread false information without knowing it's false.
Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or spread to deceive, manipulate, or achieve a particular objective.
Unlike misinformation, disinformation involves intentional deception.
For example, someone might knowingly fabricate a story about a political candidate to damage their reputation, create a fake news website to generate advertising revenue, or spread false claims about election procedures to discourage people from voting.
In each case, the person knows the information is false but spreads it anyway.
Hoffman explains that disinformation is often motivated by a desire for political influence, power, financial gain, or another advantage.
Jonathan Rauch, author of The Constitution of Knowledge, further describes how disinformation can be used as a form of information warfare.
Rather than simply persuading people to believe one false claim, a disinformation campaign may attempt to confuse the public, deepen social divisions, and undermine confidence in reliable sources of information.
Yes. In fact, the same false claim can be both misinformation and disinformation, depending on who is sharing it and why.
Consider this example:
The original deception may have been intentional, but many of the people spreading the story afterward have no idea they're sharing something false.
This is why disinformation can be particularly difficult to contain. Once a fabricated claim enters the information ecosystem, it can spread through ordinary conversations, social media posts, and trusted personal relationships.
Both misinformation and disinformation can spread rapidly through today's digital media environment.
Social media platforms allow information to reach enormous audiences almost instantly. Recommendation algorithms can further amplify content that generates engagement, including sensational or emotionally charged claims.
Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, explains how recommendation algorithms can gradually expose users to increasingly extreme or misleading content.
Generative artificial intelligence introduces additional challenges by making convincing fake images, audio recordings, videos, and news articles easier to produce.
Simone Leeper, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, explains that AI-generated content can create seemingly convincing evidence for events that never happened.
However, technology is only part of the problem.
People are also more likely to believe information that reinforces their existing beliefs, particularly when it comes from someone they trust.
Understanding the difference between misinformation and disinformation helps us respond appropriately.
Someone spreading misinformation may simply need accurate information, additional context, or a correction from a credible source.
Someone deliberately spreading disinformation, however, may continue promoting a false narrative even after being presented with evidence that contradicts it.
Both can damage public understanding.
Michael Rich, former president and CEO of the RAND Corporation, describes a phenomenon called truth decay, in which the distinction between fact and opinion becomes increasingly blurred, trust in authoritative information sources declines, and people disagree more about objective facts.
These conditions make it harder for citizens to evaluate political claims, understand public policies, and make informed democratic decisions.
Fortunately, everyone can help slow the spread of false information.
Before sharing a questionable claim, consider its original source, look for independent confirmation from credible outlets, and examine whether the message is designed to provoke an immediate emotional reaction.
Fact-checking organizations such as PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and Snopes can also help verify questionable claims.
Hoffman offers a simple reminder: "Care before you share."
Ultimately, the difference between misinformation and disinformation comes down to whether someone intends to deceive.
Disinformation is a deliberate lie. Misinformation is a falsehood shared without knowing it's false.
Recognizing that distinction—and verifying information before passing it along—can help prevent both from spreading.
What is misinformation, and how does it spread so quickly online? Learn the difference between misinformation and disinformation, how social media and AI amplify false narratives, and what experts say you can do to protect yourself and strengthen democracy.
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Subscribe to our NewsletterMisinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information that is shared without the intention to deceive. It occurs when someone believes something is true and passes it along to others, even though the information is incorrect. Misinformation can take many forms, including false news stories, misleading social media posts, inaccurate statistics, and rumors. Unlike disinformation, which is deliberately created or spread to deceive people, misinformation is generally shared in good faith. However, both can influence public opinion, create confusion, and undermine trust in reliable information.
Misinformation is bad because false or misleading information can cause people to make decisions based on things that aren't true. It can harm public health, influence elections, damage reputations, increase political polarization, and undermine trust in reliable sources of information. Even when misinformation is shared without malicious intent, its consequences can be serious. In a democracy, widespread misinformation is particularly dangerous because citizens need accurate information to evaluate political leaders, debate public policies, and make informed voting decisions. When people cannot agree on basic facts, solving shared problems becomes much more difficult.
Misinformation spreads when people share false or misleading information they mistakenly believe is true. It can travel through social media, news outlets, podcasts, messaging apps, and everyday conversations. Social media algorithms can amplify misinformation by recommending engaging content to more users, while emotionally charged claims and trusted personal relationships can encourage people to share information without verifying it. Artificial intelligence can also accelerate the spread by making convincing fake images, videos, and articles easier to create. Together, these factors allow false information to reach large audiences quickly, sometimes before anyone has checked whether it is accurate.
Misinformation affects democracy by making it harder for citizens to make informed decisions, participate in elections, and hold political leaders accountable. False or misleading information can distort voters' understanding of candidates and policies, discourage electoral participation, increase political polarization, and undermine trust in democratic institutions. When misinformation becomes widespread, people may struggle to agree on basic facts, making productive debate and compromise more difficult. Because democracy depends on an informed public, the spread of misinformation can weaken the foundations of democratic governance, even when false information is shared without malicious intent.
To combat misinformation, verify information before sharing it, evaluate the credibility of sources, check claims against reliable evidence, and develop strong media literacy skills. Be especially cautious of sensational headlines, emotionally charged messages, and suspicious images or videos. Fact-checking organizations such as PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and Snopes can help identify false claims. Combating misinformation also requires educating others, correcting falsehoods respectfully, and supporting trustworthy journalism and institutions. While misinformation cannot be eliminated entirely, individuals and organizations can reduce its spread by promoting accurate information and encouraging critical thinking.
Brandon Stover is the Network Manager for The Democracy Group and a Digital Content Specialist at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. He leads partnerships and collaborations across the podcast network, oversees educational content strategy, and produces written, audio, and video content while managing the network's digital marketing efforts. Before joining the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, Brandon founded and led a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating free educational content on global issues. He holds a master's degree in Architecture from Washington State University.
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