In this article, Naomi Appelman, Dr. Stephan Dreyer, Pranav Manjesh Bidare and Keno C. Potthast discuss the conceptual challenges in the context of disinformation governance. In doing so, they show why the current focus on truth/falsehood and intention bear both risks and uncertainties from a legal point of view, and suggests we instead focus on the potential to harm.
The article is one of a three-part series presenting important considerations on the governance of disinformation. All contributions are based on an expert workshop organised by the Digital Disinformation Hub in February 2022 on “Opportunities in Disinformation Research from a Governance Perspective”. The two other contributions address the empirical evidence and the potential of new institutions for the governance of disinformation.
and the potential of new institutions for the governance of disinformation. All three contributions have been published as open access papers in the online journal Internet Policy Review.
Link to the article
About the Series
While bridging the gap between social science findings and policy proposals, the texts address some fundamental questions to foster future research agendas: (i) how should underlying conceptions, most notably notions of “truth”, support the increasing weight that states and companies dedicate to curbing disinformation? (ii) how can such an intricate empirical field inform potential governance solutions? and (iii) can these conceptual and empirical challenges profit from institutional innovation, as a way to reconfigure traditional power dynamics?
Appelman, N.; Dreyer, S.; Bidare, P. M.; Potthast, K. C. (2022): Truth, Intention and Harm. Conceptual Challenges for Disinformation-targeted Governance. In: Internet Policy Review (online).