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Misinformation and disinformation are both terms for false or misleading information, but the usual difference is intent. Misinformation is shared by someone who does not know it is false, while disinformation is created or spread deliberately to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm. The content can look identical; what separates the terms is what the sender knew and intended when sharing it.
You can often establish that a claim is unsupported or false. You usually cannot establish a particular person’s state of mind from one post alone. That is why it is safer to describe the content and the available evidence before accusing an individual of spreading disinformation.
The short definition
In common usage, the distinction is:
| Term | What the information is like | What the sender believes | Typical intent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Misinformation | False or misleading | The sender believes it is true, or does not realize it is wrong | No known intention to deceive or cause harm |
| Disinformation | False or misleading | The sender knows, or has strong reason to know, it is false or deceptive | Deliberate deception, manipulation, or harm |
| Mal-information | Based on real information | The information may be accurate | The information is used to inflict harm |
This is the practical convention used in this guide. Terminology is not universal: UNESCO notes that some writers use “misinformation” and “disinformation” interchangeably, while others use disinformation as a broader category. The labels are useful only when you explain which definition you mean.
The World Health Organization puts the distinction plainly: “The key difference between disinformation and misinformation is not the content of the falsehood but the knowledge and intention of the sender.”
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What is misinformation?
Misinformation is false information shared without an intention to deceive or cause harm. A person may repeat a rumor, misread a graph, misunderstand a technical announcement, or share an old photograph while believing it is current. The post can still confuse people or lead to a bad decision, but the person who shared it is not knowingly trying to mislead them.
UNESCO’s introductory definition describes misinformation as “false information that is shared inadvertently, without meaning to cause harm.” CISA’s 2020 public guidance uses similar wording, defining it as false information “not created or shared with the intention of causing harm.”
Hypothetical example: an outdated warning
Imagine that a severe-weather warning was issued on Monday. On Tuesday, someone sees a screenshot of the warning in a group chat, assumes it is still current, and forwards it to neighbors. The screenshot is now misleading because the date and conditions have changed. If the person honestly thought the warning was current, the sharing is misinformation. It would be inaccurate to call it disinformation without evidence that the person knew the warning was outdated and shared it to mislead people.
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- A headline is read but the article is not, so a qualified finding becomes an absolute claim.
- A satire post is copied outside its original context and mistaken for a factual report.
- A real image is paired with the wrong location or date.
- A calculation, translation, or chart is misunderstood.
- A well-meaning person repeats a claim from a source they assumed was reliable.
Good intentions do not make a claim true. They affect how you describe the person’s behavior and what response is appropriate.
What is disinformation?
Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or spread to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm. The defining feature is not simply that the claim is wrong; it is that someone knowingly uses the falsehood as a tool.
UNESCO describes disinformation as “the deliberate dissemination of false or misleading information, often intended to deceive or manipulate an individual or a group of people.” CISA’s 2020 guidance similarly defines it as false information “deliberately created to mislead, harm, or manipulate” a person, group, organization, or country.
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Hypothetical example: an altered image
Suppose someone takes an old photograph, digitally alters it, and presents it as evidence of a current event. If that person knows the image is old and altered but wants readers to believe it documents today’s event, the example fits the common definition of disinformation. The same image could become misinformation when an ordinary user shares it believing it is genuine.
Why the same post can be classified differently
Classification can change as information moves through a network. The person who manufactures a fabricated claim may be spreading disinformation. A follower who repeats it in good faith may be spreading misinformation. The content is the same; the relevant fact is each sender’s knowledge and intention.
That distinction also means that an inaccurate post is not automatically evidence of a coordinated campaign. You need evidence about how it was made, what the sender knew, and what they were trying to achieve before making a claim about disinformation.
What is mal-information?
Mal-information is an adjacent category in UNESCO’s information-disorder framework. It is based on reality but is used to inflict harm. The information may be accurate, yet the way it is disclosed, framed, or targeted is abusive or dangerous.
UNESCO gives disclosure of a person’s sexual orientation without a public-interest justification as an example. The fact itself could be true; publishing it to expose or endanger the person is the harmful act. Other cases can involve selectively releasing genuine private records, publishing identifying details to encourage harassment, or using a true statement in a deliberately threatening context.
Mal-information should not be collapsed into misinformation or disinformation. The first two categories concern false or misleading content. Mal-information concerns the harmful use of information grounded in reality.
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Why intent is the difficult part
Truth and intent are separate questions. You can check whether a claim is supported by evidence, but a public post rarely reveals everything the sender knew before posting it. A confident tone, a large audience, or a later correction does not by itself prove deliberate deception.
What you can usually establish
- Whether the claim is supported, contradicted, or still unresolved.
- Whether the quoted source actually says what the post claims.
- Whether the date, location, image, or statistic has been changed or removed from context.
- Whether the account has repeatedly posted the same false claim after credible corrections.
What requires stronger evidence
- That a specific person knew a claim was false before sharing it.
- That a person created a falsehood rather than merely repeating it.
- That a post was part of an organized effort.
- That the sender intended a particular harm or political effect.
Use cautious wording when the evidence concerns only the content: “This claim is false,” “The image is from an earlier event,” or “The cited study does not support that conclusion.” Reserve “disinformation” for situations where deliberate deception or harmful manipulation is reasonably supported.
“Fake news” is not a precise synonym
“Fake news” is widely understood in casual conversation, but it is too imprecise for careful analysis and has become politically loaded. UNESCO’s journalism handbook, Journalism, fake news & disinformation (2018), discusses a narrower use in which false or misleading information is presented in the style of news. In that sense, it can be treated as a subset of disinformation.
A separate UNESCO module discourages the phrase because if content is fake, it is not news. The phrase is also used as a general insult against reporting someone dislikes, including accurate reporting. For a clear explanation, describe the problem instead: a fabricated report, a false claim, a manipulated image, a misleading headline, or deliberate disinformation.
How to check a questionable claim before sharing
You do not need to prove the sender’s motive to decide whether to share a post. Check the claim itself first, then decide how to describe the behavior.
- Pause before amplifying it. Do not forward a claim merely because it is urgent, outrageous, or confirms what you already believe. CISA advises people to think before sharing and rely on trusted sources.
- Write down the exact claim. Separate a factual assertion from predictions, opinions, jokes, and rhetorical language. “The agency announced X on a specific date” can be checked; “They are hiding everything” is a conclusion that needs a different kind of evidence.
- Find the original source. Follow screenshots, reposts, and quotation cards back to the first available article, document, video, dataset, or official statement. Check whether the source is being quoted accurately.
- Check the date and context. Look for publication time, location, event details, edits, and updates. An authentic photograph or warning can become misleading when reused for a different event.
- Inspect the evidence. Ask what would support the claim, whether the cited study or document actually contains that evidence, and whether important qualifications were omitted. A single anonymous post is not equivalent to independently documented evidence.
- Compare independent, credible sources. Look for agreement among organizations that have relevant expertise and access to the underlying facts. Do not treat a large number of identical reposts as independent confirmation.
- Use current official and evidence-based sources for health questions. WHO recommends seeking current, official, evidence-based information for public-health questions. An official source is not automatically infallible, but it is a practical starting point when the subject is technical, urgent, or changing.
- Choose a confidence level. Label the claim as supported, contradicted, misleading because of missing context, or unresolved. “I cannot verify this yet” is a valid conclusion.
- Decide whether a response helps. If correction is useful, link to the relevant primary evidence, state the correction plainly, and avoid repeating a sensational falsehood more prominently than the facts.
A practical decision framework
The following questions help separate a content judgment from an intent judgment:
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| Question | If the answer is yes | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Is the claim false or materially misleading? | You have identified misinformation in the broad sense of false or misleading content. | It does not prove the sender knew it was false. |
| Does the sender appear to believe the claim? | The behavior is more consistent with misinformation. | It does not prove there was no hidden motive. |
| Is there evidence the sender knew the claim was false? | The deliberate element needed for disinformation is more plausible. | A single contradiction or later correction may not establish prior knowledge. |
| Is the information true but deployed to harm someone? | The case may fit mal-information. | Accuracy alone does not make publication ethical or lawful. |
When evidence is incomplete, describe what is known rather than forcing a label. For example: “The post repeats a false claim; the author’s intent is unclear.” That sentence is more defensible than calling every inaccurate post disinformation.
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Correct the claim without humiliating the person
If the person appears to have shared the claim in good faith, lead with the verifiable correction and the source. Explain the missing date, context, or qualification. A private message may work better than a public confrontation when the goal is to stop further sharing.
Do not accidentally repeat the falsehood
Put the accurate information first, then identify the specific error. Avoid reproducing a dramatic headline, image, or slogan unnecessarily. If the post creates an immediate safety risk, use the platform’s reporting tools and notify the relevant authority when appropriate.
Correct your own post visibly
If you shared misinformation, add a clear correction where people will see it, remove the inaccurate material when practical, and explain what changed. Quietly deleting a post may leave people who saw it with the original claim and no correction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to respond to suspected disinformation
Suspected deliberate manipulation requires both evidence and restraint. Preserve the original URL or screenshot, record the date and surrounding context, and compare the claim with primary documentation. Look for signs such as fabricated material, purposeful alteration, repeated use after clear corrections, or coordinated amplification, but do not present those signs as proof of intent by themselves.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsReport content that violates a platform’s rules, threatens someone, exposes private information, or creates a credible safety risk. If you are writing about the incident, distinguish confirmed facts from inferences: identify what was false, what evidence indicates deliberate manipulation, and what remains unknown.
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How organizations can reduce the damage
Organizations should separate verification, communication, and attribution. First establish the factual status of a claim. Then publish a concise correction with dates, documents, and contact information. Only after that should an organization characterize a campaign or a sender’s intent, and it should do so on the basis of documented evidence.
- Maintain a source-of-truth page for frequently changing information.
- Stamp public notices with publication and update times.
- Preserve original files and revision histories for images, charts, and statements.
- Train staff to distinguish an unverified claim from a proven falsehood.
- Provide a correction path so employees and the public can report errors.
- Use plain language about uncertainty instead of overstating what is known.
These practices reduce accidental sharing and make intentional manipulation easier to investigate without labeling every mistake as a hostile act.
Common mistakes in using the terms
- Calling every false post disinformation. Falsity establishes a problem with the content, not the sender’s intent.
- Assuming a sincere person cannot spread misinformation. Good faith affects intent; it does not make the information accurate.
- Using “fake news” for all false content. The phrase can obscure whether the issue is a fabricated news-style report, an opinion, a rumor, or a legitimate report someone dislikes.
- Treating repeated sharing as proof of coordination. Repetition can result from ordinary copying, algorithmic recommendations, or genuine belief.
- Ignoring mal-information. Accurate private information can still be weaponized.
- Assuming official sources are automatically correct. Official and evidence-based sources are useful starting points, but claims should still be checked for date, scope, and supporting evidence.
- Confusing impact with intent. A careless falsehood can cause serious harm without having been created to cause harm.
Why the labels matter
The labels affect the remedy. Misinformation often calls for better context, a correction, and improved source-checking. Disinformation may require investigation into fabrication, coordinated manipulation, or deliberate targeting. Mal-information raises questions about privacy, consent, safety, and whether publication serves a legitimate public interest.
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The categories are not a legal verdict, and no single taxonomy is binding across every institution. UNESCO’s definitions, CISA’s 2020 guidance, the 2018 UNESCO journalism handbook, and WHO’s public-health guidance emphasize the same practical lesson: evaluate the claim, separate evidence from assumptions about motive, and be precise about what you know.
Bottom line
Misinformation is false or misleading information shared without a known intent to deceive or harm. Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or spread to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm. Mal-information is real information used to harm. Check the original source, date, context, and evidence before sharing; describe a claim as false or misleading when that is all you can establish, and reserve accusations of deliberate disinformation for cases supported by evidence about knowledge and intent.
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