Toward a Theory of Disinformation

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Toward a Theory of Disinformation

• Don Fallis, SIRLS, University of Arizona

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Information Transfer

• the information professional transfers
  information from one agent to another agent.
• dimensions of information quality
• accuracy, comprehensibility, etc.
• how to distinguish accurate from inaccurate
  information?
• types of inaccurate information
• inaccurate information might result from either
  a deliberate attempt to deceive or mislead
  (disinformation ), or an honest mistake
  (misinformation ) (Hernon)

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Examples of Disinformation

• doctored photographs and other media distortions
• forged documents and fake radio transmissions
• Internet frauds and hoaxes
• deliberately falsified maps
• manipulated Wikipedia entries

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Apolitical Disinformation
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Disinformation Lying?
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What is Information?

• it is meaningful data (Fetzer, Floridi).
• it is something that has representational
  content.
• it includes things like verbal statements, pieces
  of text, photographs, etc.
• does information have to be true ?
• false information, misinformation, and
  (grimace!) disinformation are not varieties of
  informationany more than a decoy duck is a kind
  of duck (Dretske)

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Conceptual Analysis

• construct a theory that correctly classifies
  things as falling under the concept or not
  (Plato).
• our intuitions are a guide to the way that words
  are commonly used (Jackson).
• common usage is a guide to useful concepts
  (Austin).
• but the ultimate test is whether the concept has
  theoretical or practical utility
• for example, does our theory of disinformation
  helps us to identify inaccurate information?

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Dictionary Definition of Lying

• DL1. you utter p.
• DL2. p is false.
• DL3. you intend to deceive your listeners by
  uttering p.

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Intending to Deceive

• Here in the United States, the oldest person at
  the table always leaves the gratuity

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Not Intending to Deceive
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Intentional Utterance

• These arent the droids were looking for.

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Chisholm-Feehan Definition of Lying

• CF1. you state that p.
• CF2. you believe that p is false.
• CF3. you believe that, by stating p, your
  listeners have been given a reason to believe
  that you believe p.
• CF4. you believe that, by stating p, your
  listeners have been given a reason to believe
  that you intend that they believe that you
  believe p.

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Disseminating Information

• the information need not be expressed as a verbal
  utterance.
• the information need not have propositional
  content (i.e., it may not be something that is
  either true or false).
• but the information must have representational
  content.

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Misleading Information

• Definition the receivers of the information
  take it to be evidence for a statement that is
  false.
• the information has to lead to false beliefs by
  means of the normal operation of the cognitive
  system of the receivers.
• the receivers do not have to take the information
  to be decisive evidence.
• only some of the receivers of the information
  have to be misled.
• the information does not actually have to be
  evidence.

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Signal Condition Unnecessary

• Reason to believe that you intend
• fake radio transmissions
• Reason to believe that you believe
• forged signatures
• doctored photographs
• What about The Onion ?
• the source does not believe that the information
  is misleading.

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Definition of Disseminating Disinformation (first
try)

• DD1. you disseminate some information i.
• DD2. you believe that i is misleading.
• DD3. i is misleading.

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Misleading in the Right Way

• Either Jones owns a Ford, or Brown is in
  Barcelona.

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Misleading Form
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Misleading Content

• Death awaits you all with nasty big pointy
  teeth.

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Definition of Disseminating Disinformation
(second try)

• DD1. you disseminate some information i.
• DD2. you believe that i is misleading.
• DD3. i is misleading in the way that you
  believe it to be.
• DD4. the representational content of i is part
  of why it is misleading.

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The Source of the Deception?

• the immediate source of the information does not
  have to believe that it is misleading.
• he would be the unconscious channel for a piece
  of disinformation aimed at another country's
  intelligence service (Follett)
• in fact, no one who actually disseminated the
  information has to believe that it is misleading.
• Operation BODYGUARD and other disinformation
  campaigns
• someone who has fostered the spread of the
  information has to believe that it is misleading.

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Fostering the Spread of Disinformation
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Definition of Disseminating Disinformation (third
try)

• DD1. you disseminate some information i.
• DD2. there is someone S who
• believed that i was misleading,
• took action to foster the dissemination of i,
• and this action is part of what led to you
  disseminating i.
• DD3. i is misleading in the way that S
  believed it to be.
• DD4. the representational content of i is part
  of why it is misleading.

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Not Intending to Mislead

• deception can be a foreseen, but unintended,
  side-effect of pursuing other goals
• self-preservation
• destroying credibility
• giving a balanced report

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Balance versus Truth
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Definitions of the Disinformation and
Misinformation

• d is disinformation if and only if someone
  disseminated disinformation by disseminating d.
• m is misinformation if and only if m is
  misleading information, but m is not
  disinformation.

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Distinguishing Accurate Information from
Disinformation

• does the source of the information have a
  motivation to deceive me?
• does the source of the information have a
  motivation to deceive anyone at all ?
• does the original source of the information have
  a motivation to deceive?
• does the anybody who might have fostered the
  spread of the information have a motivation to
  deceive?
• are any of these people pursuing a goal such that
  they would be willing to allow other people to
  be deceived?

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Toward a Theory of Disinformation