Misinformation, Disinformation & Mal-information

As information becomes widely accessible through the means of social media, it also creates room for false narratives disguised under "reputable" sources. Over the last week, I have collected examples of fake news which can be characterized as misinformation, mal-information and disinformation, showcasing how prevalent false information is online these days.

Disinformation

I came across this post on Instagram that addresses the recent conspiracy regarding Tylenol being linked to autism, as suggested by the President of the United States. The post addresses this issue directly, stating that "autism was first diagnosed in 1943" and that "Tylenol was invented in 1955," implying a direct link between the two statements. This post falls under the category of disinformation, as it is spreading false information with the intention of causing harm. Through the use of two similar statements, the post uses a false equivalency to frame the narrative, essentially misleading the audience. To personally fact check a post like, one ought to read reliable studies and articles that address the issue from an unbiased perspective. It's also helpful to be mindful of the language used in the post, as it's a common practice in false news to distort truth through exaggeration and misleading terms.

Misinformation

Information presented in good faith, albeit false, is referred to as misinformation. I came across a reel on Instagram that depicted this well: "RIP Arc'teryx 1989–2025." The initial response when seeing this post makes you think the company has shut down, leading to further questions about its reasoning. However, upon further examination, it turns out to be addressing a public incident that caused much uproar and a formal apology from the company. The reel misrepresents information, falsely suggesting the company has shut down. While this may have been done without a harmful intention, it can easily spread rumours where something incomplete can be mistaken for fact. To verify the accuracy of the post, I had to investigate the comments and check out Arc'teryx's own social media to receive the full context the reel was lacking.

Mal-information

Finding a recent example of mal-information was a complex challenge, especially as it's difficult to naturally come across content that spreads information with the intention of harm. However, upon doing some research, I came across an article by The Guardian with the headline "Republicans post fake image of Oregon protest – using photos of South America." The X post, which has since been deleted, featured an image of a protest, claiming that it showed violent demonstrations in Oregon, when the photos were actually from South America. This post falls under the category of mal-information as it uses imagery out of context to assert harmful claims. While the photos are real, they are deliberately reframed to create a certain agenda. Through manipulation, the post distorts the truth to mislead the audience by creating a false sense of crisis, ultimately questioning the reliability of institutions that employ such practices. To identify a post like this as mal-information is tricky, as it's difficult to fact-check all aspects of the content especially its images. However, one can always cross-examination information to see if it's accurately presented across multiple platforms, while also being mindful of the tone and emotional clues being presented in the message.