Impact of digital disinformation unpacked in new research brief series

9 April 2025

In today’s hyper-connected world, digital disinformation operations ('disinfo-ops') have become a persistent and deeply disruptive force—shaping narratives, distorting public debate, and undermining trust in institutions. Our new four-part series of research briefs written by Steven J. Barela, offers a multi-dimensional analysis of disinfo-ops, beginning with their mechanics and impact on the information ecosystem, and progressing through legal implications under international law and international humanitarian law. It concludes by highlighting emerging regulatory responses, particularly within the European Union, and the potential for more effective and evidence-based global governance.

Bringing together insights from law, policy, and technology, the series calls for a coordinated and rights-respecting response—one that emphasizes transparency, accountability, and cross-sector collaboration to protect democratic values and uphold the integrity of digital spaces.

Digital Disinformation Operations: Part I – Synthetic Forces vs. Humans and Human Rights (download)

The first report in our in a four-part series, unpacks the mechanics of digital disinformation operations (“disinfo-ops”) and their impact on the online information ecosystem. It explores how synthetic interference—driven by bots, inauthentic actors, and algorithmic amplification—distorts public discourse, suppresses genuine voices, and manipulates opinion formation. While disinformation has long been a tool of influence, its scale, speed, and precision in the digital era introduce new threats to democratic participation, human rights, and societal trust. The report challenges the notion that freedom of expression must conflict with efforts to mitigate harm, arguing instead that inauthentic activity undermines the conditions necessary for genuine human engagement and informed opinion. Framing disinformation as a form of information pollution, the report calls for structural reform: proposals include the adoption of authentic pseudonyms to ensure online interaction remains human-driven and expanded access to platform data for independent research. By establishing these foundations, this first installment sets the stage for a strategic, rights-based response to restore integrity and trust in digital spaces.

Digital Disinformation Operations: Part II – Charting the International Legal Frameworks (download)

Building on Part I of this series, this report examines the legal complexities of digital disinformation operations (disinfo-ops) and their implications for international law. It explores how these campaigns challenge principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and self-determination while exposing persistent gaps in attribution and accountability. The fragmented legal response is not necessarily the result of inconsistent enforcement—it reflects the structural mismatch between existing legal paradigms and the novel nature of disinfo-ops. They are often designed to exploit those areas of law that remain underdeveloped or ill-suited to address low-intensity digital interference. To address these challenges, the report advocates for a holistic legal approach, emphasizing the need for empirical data and interdisciplinary collaboration. Without transparent access to platform data, efforts to regulate and counter disinformation remain hindered. The report underscores that evolving international law must be grounded in factual evidence to effectively combat digital manipulation and preserve the integrity of the information ecosystem.

Digital Disinformation Operations in Armed Conflict (download)

This Info-Brief examines the growing use of digital disinformation in armed conflicts and its implications under international humanitarian law and human rights. While deception has long been an accepted tactic in warfare, false narratives about evacuation routes, safe zones, or humanitarian access can lead to life-threatening consequences and erode the trust essential for effective relief operations. The report shows how both state and non-state actors exploit disinformation to escalate violence, destabilize societies, and delegitimize humanitarian actors and journalists. Although international humanitarian law permits certain ruses of war, it struggles to account for digital interference that deliberately targets civilians rather than combatants. As the boundaries between military and civilian information spaces continue to blur during armed conflict, the Info-Brief calls for greater transparency from platforms and structured access to data for independent researchers, to help protect information integrity and uphold humanitarian protection.

European Union Data Access for Study of Digital Disinformation Operations (download)

This new Info-Brief highlights how the European Union’s evolving regulatory suite opens the door to a more evidence-based international response. By mandating structured, privacy-preserving data access for vetted researchers, these instruments enable systematic study of the scale, precision, and societal impact of digital disinformation.These dimensions have, until now, remained unmeasured. But this access offers more than academic insight—it creates space for meaningful collaboration between international lawyers and data scientists. Such interdisciplinary engagement can help translate complex digital phenomena into legally relevant categories, supporting efforts to strengthen accountability and uphold human rights. Such collaboration would be essential to building an international legal order capable of adapting to the realities of online harm. Successful implementation in the EU could also set a global precedent for regulating disinformation through rights-respecting governance.