Van Raemdonck, N., & Meyer, T. (2024). Why Disinformation is Here to Stay. A Socio-technical Analysis of Disinformation as a Hybrid Threat. In L. Lonardo (Ed.), Addressing Hybrid Threats: European Law and Policies (pp. 57-83). Edward Elgar.
We define ‘disinformation as a hybrid threat’, its historic background, and the role of technology. We highlight the incentives of actors, how disinformation gets diffused, and which cognitive mechanisms are at play for disinformation to take root. Next, we expound why disinformation is a hybrid threat, how it challenges democracy to its core, and why there is also a threat in response to disinformation. Lastly, we provide an overview of the hybrid solutions to this hybrid threat by looking at current policy responses that use diplomatic means, responses that regulate platforms’ role in the diffusion of disinformation, and responses that aim to strengthen the resilience of citizens to resist disinformation content. We show that the hybrid threat of disinformation is about more than technology. Disinformation is most effective when democracy is in peril and public trust in institutions is low. At such times, it threatens civil discourse and unravels a shared sense of reality, harming a democracy further.
The chapter is part of the volume titled Addressing Hybrid Threats (2024) edited by Luigi Lonardo (University College Cork). Combining rich theoretical analysis with real-world examples, this erudite book navigates EU law in the context of hybrid threats, examining how security issues affect themes of constitutional law at the heart of a democratic system. Presenting doctrinal and historical insights, the book not only considers the different types of hybrid threats, but also how they are increasingly showing that traditional understandings of security risk are becoming obsolete.
