Not every lie is disinformation
In the public debate, the words "fake news", "disinformation" and "manipulation" are often treated interchangeably. Meanwhile, experts distinguish several concepts.
Disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false or manipulated content in order to mislead recipients, evoke specific emotions or achieve political, financial or image benefits. Intent is key. The author knows that he is conveying untruths or consciously ignoring the facts.
Misinformation is false information transmitted without any ill will. Someone shares an alarming post with their friends because they sincerely believe that they are warning their loved ones about the danger. The harm is similar, the intention is different.
Malinformation, in turn, is true information used in bad faith, for example fragments of private conversations taken out of context or photos published to harm someone.
This difference matters. Disinformation very often begins life as a deliberate operation, and then, thanks to ordinary users who share it, it turns into mass misinformation.
Why lies spread so easily
Disinformation is not effective because we are naive. It uses mechanisms that work in each of us.
Emotions win over analysis. Content that causes fear, outrage or a sense of harm is more likely to be shared than substantive, subdued messages. The authors of disinformation know this very well and design the message so that it hits emotions first.
Algorithms reward engagement. Social media platforms show what triggers reactions: comments, shares, likes. A sensational and objectionable falsehood often generates more interactions than a correction, so it gains greater reach.
We are looking for confirmation of our own views. We are more likely to believe information that is consistent with what we already think and are less likely to verify it. Psychologists call this the confirmation bias. In combination with the so-called information bubbles in which we mainly see content similar to our current choices, which creates fertile ground for manipulation.
Technology lowers the cost of lying. Until recently, convincing fake material took time and skill. Today, text, image and sound generators allow you to create realistic-looking photos, voice recordings and deepfake videos quickly and almost for free. The scale is also growing: automated accounts and troll farms can create the impression that a given view is supported by a mass of independent people.
Artificial intelligence gives criminals new tools. Michał Pietraszko from CBZC in an interview with Tomasz Terlikowski from RMF FM indicates that a fraudster can impersonate the exact telephone number of an institution or a loved one (so-called spoofing).
What's worse is that when we answer the phone, we can actually hear the almost perfect voice of our loved one. - emphasizes the expert.
Although - as he points out - it is not that common yet, technology already allows you to impose someone else's voice "in real time".
How disinformation affects our lives
Health
The impact of disinformation is clearly visible in health care. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization even spoke of an "infodemic": an excess of information, among which it is difficult to distinguish reliable from false. Myths about vaccines, unproven "miracle" therapies, or advising against proven treatments can lead to real decisions that are harmful to health. Health misinformation did not end with the pandemic. False advice about cancer, diet or supplements is still circulating, often linked to the sale of specific products.
"Miracle drugs" and toxic substances
Materials encouraging the use of substances advertised as a universal cure for serious diseases, from cancer to autism and autoimmune diseases, regularly appear on social media and websites. The most famous example is MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution), which is in practice a bleaching solution promoted as a cure for autism or cancer.
Scientists from the Medical University of Wrocław took a closer look at the "miracle drug". In a publication on the university's website, they warn that Miracle Mineral Solution is in fact sodium chlorite, a strong disinfectant that, when acidified, creates toxic chlorine dioxide. Studies have shown that effective concentrations of this substance are also harmful to human cells and can lead to serious tissue damage and disruption of intestinal microflora. Experts emphasize that home-made MMS mixtures are uncontrolled and dangerous, and their use - especially in children and pregnant women - is particularly risky. Scientists appeal for reliable education and the fight against disinformation on the Internet.
Decrease in vaccination rates and the return of infectious diseases
Myths about the alleged harmfulness of vaccinations, such as a false correlation between vaccines and autism or claims about "hiding ingredients", undermine trust in evidence-based medicine. This is particularly clear in the example of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Many years of disinformation campaigns around it have contributed to the decline in vaccination rates in many countries in Europe and North America. Measles is a highly contagious disease, so a very high vaccination rate is needed to protect the entire population, and any deviation favors epidemic outbreaks. The effects can be serious: measles can lead to encephalitis, vision damage, and even death in children.
Delaying cancer treatment
Conspiracy theories according to which "pharmaceutical companies deliberately hide natural methods of treating cancer" encourage some patients to abandon chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery in favor of alternative therapies whose effectiveness has not been confirmed. Doctors describe cases of people with cancer in early, fully curable stages (such as melanoma or breast cancer) who, under the influence of online guides, chose fasting, vitamin C infusions or herbal preparations. They were referred to an oncologist only at an advanced stage, when only palliative treatment was possible and the chances of survival were minimal.
Panic and risky behavior in crisis
In times of health crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, disinformation quickly fills the information gap and feeds on fear of the unknown. There were mass myths circulating about the alleged toxicity of masks, the "ban" on the use of basic antipyretic drugs, as well as recommendations to consume disinfectants or invermectin in doses intended for animals. Poison centers in several countries reported an increase in reports of poisonings at that time. In addition, there is a less visible risk: people who delayed calling for help due to fear of the hospital or due to myths ended up seeing doctors in a much worse condition.
Money
Fake content is also a tool for fraudsters. Manipulated advertisements with the image of famous people, alleged "investment platforms", false notifications from banks or couriers use the same mechanism: time pressure and the appearance of credibility. The result may be lost savings, not just misleading.
According to Michał Pietraszka from the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC), the police disclosed over 93,000 fraud in 2024, over 92 thousand in 2025 and 68 thousand until the end of October 2026 (this data includes, among others, phishing attacks). The victims' losses are counted in hundreds of millions. We're looking at hundreds of millions of losses here. – he said in an interview with Tomasz Terlikowski on RMF FM.
In the financial sphere, disinformation takes several recurring forms.
Investment fraud with the image of famous people
Fraudsters use deepfakes (artificially generated video and voice) and fake press articles in which famous entrepreneurs, politicians or experts allegedly recommend revolutionary financial projects, for example cryptocurrency platforms. Massive advertising campaigns appear on social media with the faces of figures known from Polish public life and business, including presidents of large banks and popular journalists, whose materials encourage "confident investments" in raw materials or cryptocurrencies. People who believed in the authenticity of such recordings transferred their savings to fake platforms and lost tens, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of zlotys.
Fake investment advertisements, especially paid for on social media, use an artificially generated figure of a famous person. As Michał Pietraszko explains, someone is chosen who "enjoys some credibility among society", for example a famous businessman or athlete. Since such a person invests, the recipient wants to follow his lead.
Klaudia Dobińska from the Scientific and Academic Computer Network (NASK) describes a typical scam: the advertisement leads to a credible-looking website, where we leave our contact details, and then a "consultant" calls us and offers a trial payment of one hundred or five hundred zlotys. The fake website shows quick profits and allows you to withdraw them to build trust. It's when we later try to cash out these supposedly high profits that problems start to arise. – says Dubińska: you have to pay a processing fee or tax in advance. After several such operations, contact ceases and the criminals may return, impersonating, for example, the police in order to "recover" the money.
Fake support programs and phishing
Fraudsters take advantage of economic crises, inflation, high energy prices and fear of high prices to create false "protection allowances" and "government benefits". Massive text messages and sponsored posts promise "special high-price allowance" or "tax overpayment refund", and the links they contain lead to perfectly cloned electronic banking websites. People who entered their login details there in the hope of receiving support could lose their savings in their accounts within minutes.
A popular scenario is an SMS about an alleged extra charge for the package, which is especially dangerous before Black Friday, when it is easy to lose control over what we have ordered. A small amount is a pretext: "These few zlotys are just a way to extort payment card details" - explains Klaudia Dobińska from NASK. Later, much more than five zlotys can be withdrawn from the card, and the victim often does not pay attention to the actual amount of the transaction.
Behind such frauds are organized groups which, as Michał Pietraszko says, "operate like legal companies": with desks, laptops, phones and a hierarchy. When the victim becomes suspicious, the alleged "manager" takes over the conversation to enhance credibility. CBZC, together with the Ukrainian police, secured three such call centers, and in one of the largest Polish cases, conducted by the management board of CBZC in Olsztyn, over five hundred people from Poland, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus are suspected.
Politics and democracy
Disinformation affects how we perceive candidates, institutions and events. False reports during election campaigns, undermining trust in the electoral process or artificially fueled social conflicts may influence voters' decisions and deepen polarization. It doesn't have to be about convincing people of a specific thesis. Sometimes the goal is to discourage participation in public life and to spread the belief that "no one can be trusted."
You don't have to look far for examples. In 2025, a scandal broke out in Ireland after a realistic video generated by artificial intelligence (deepfake) appeared online during the presidential campaign, in which candidate Catherine Connolly allegedly announced her withdrawal from the race. The recording was intended to cause consternation among her voters and discourage them from voting for her.
Connolly's team reported the video to social media platforms, demanding it be removed immediately and clearly marked as fake. Artificial intelligence experts paid attention to small details that reveal that the material was generated by AI - including: unnatural mouth movements and a delicate glow around the figure.
Quick action helped. Connolly ultimately won the presidential race.
In the context of security, disinformation is today treated as an element of the so-called hybrid war. States and interest groups use it to weaken citizens' trust in their own authorities and allies. Due to its location, Poland has for years been one of the countries where such activities have been particularly visible, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Trust and relationships
Less obvious, but equally important, effects concern everyday life. Disinformation can quarrel a family at the Christmas table, divide neighbors, and in extreme cases lead to a campaign against specific people. The mere awareness that false content is everywhere also makes some people lose trust even in reliable media and experts. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as information fatigue.
How to defend yourself
There is no single method that will protect you 100%, but a few habits significantly reduce your risk.
Pause before sharing. If the content evokes strong emotions, it is a good time to refrain from reacting for a while. Disinformation is counting on an impulse.
Check the source. Who is the author? Is it a well-known editorial office, institution, expert? Does the website have contact details and does the article have a signed author? Beware of addresses imitating well-known portals.
Look elsewhere for confirmation. If a loud event is described by only one, unknown party, it is a warning signal. Take a look at what other reliable media are writing.
Verify photos and videos. A reverse image search allows you to check whether a photo is from a completely different event. When recording, pay attention to unnatural lip movements, strange lighting or distortions.
Read the whole thing, not just the headline. Titles may be exaggerated or inconsistent with the content of the text.
Use fact-checking organizations. In Poland, information verification is carried out by, among others: Demagogue or FakeHunter (PAP). It is worth using them before we believe in sensational news or pass it on.
Talk instead of ridicule. If a loved one shares false information, calmly pointing out a reliable source will work better than jokes, which usually only strengthen people in their beliefs.
Responsibility lies on many sides
The fight against disinformation does not rest solely with individual users. Online platforms, which decide what content is promoted, and media, which should verify information before publishing it, also bear responsibility. Public institutions and schools also play an important role: media education, i.e. the ability to critically read and evaluate information, is today as important as traditional reading and writing. The European Union is introducing regulations that will oblige large platforms to be more transparent and respond faster to harmful content.
