Spotting disinformation: Six tactics used to fool us
Learn to spot the different tactics behind information manipulation, disinformation and fake news with these six videos.
Disinformation can silently undermine democracy, eroding trust in elections, institutions, public conversation, and fellow citizens.
The videos below explore six disinformation techniques, the dangers they pose, and practical steps to resist manipulation.
Playing on emotions
Manipulators use emotionally charged content provoking anger or fear to engage viewers, as it is more compelling than dry facts.
Such content lowers our defences, prompting us to click, comment, or share without thinking.
What can you do? Question online claims as you would do in person — pause, verify facts, and resist impulsive reactions to emotional triggers.
Polarisation
Polarisation is a tactic that amplifies the most extreme viewpoints while suppressing moderate or nuanced opinions.
It aims to sow division, turn fellow citizens into enemies and, in extreme cases, incite physical conflict.
To counter it, you can question debates dominated by aggressive extremes and respond by seeking dialogue and common ground with an open mind.
Flooding the information space
The goal of the "flooding" disinformation tactic is to overwhelm people with contradictory versions of a story.
These conflicting versions aim to make people disengage or stop seeking facts altogether because of their confusion and doubt. This can erode trust in media and democratic institutions and lead to apathy and rejection of objective reality.
To fight back, you can rely on high-quality, fact-checked sources, and prioritise receiving accurate over quick information.
Taking advantage of the confirmation bias
We tend to trust information that aligns with our beliefs, a phenomenon known as confirmation bias.
Disinformation spreaders use this to appeal to specific audiences’ pre-existing views.
To avoid manipulation, think of your personal blind spots, pause to critically evaluate information that feels validating and double-check before sharing.
Manipulating context
Disinformation is often about presenting real facts, photos, or statements out of context to mislead, rather than creating entirely false stories. The facts may look credible but can be used in a deceptive way.
Examples include using an old photo as if it is current, misrepresenting a statement, or attributing one person’s opinion to an entire group.
To avoid falling into the trap, think of the context in which a statement or an image were made, check for inconsistencies, double-check with official sources, and ensure the message reflects the whole group, not just one member.
Attacking and silencing critical voices
Silencing tactics include flooding social media with personal attacks, using AI-powered trolls or deepfakes to intimidate, harass, or misrepresent individuals, aiming to enforce self-censorship and suppress dissent.
To counter this, support targeted individuals, do not get involved in personal attacks, insist on respectful disagreement, and report hate speech and threats.
