Disinformation is becoming an increasingly serious problem in the corporate world. It’s like a sea monster hiding below the surface, harming companies, economies, and public trust.
With disinformation spreading at a rapid speed, business executives must understand how it works and how it may affect their brand. Let’s look at the historical context and deadly consequences of disinformation on the businesses.
Evolution of Disinformation
Disinformation is as ancient as history, having been used as a manipulation tactic for millennia. Throughout history, political elites have repeatedly used deception to achieve specific strategic goals and influence public opinion.
Examining the history of disinformation can highlight the structural elements that led to its emergence. For example, in the decades before World War I, German politicians believed that the British were limiting their influence by controlling submerged cable networks and refusing Germany’s landing rights in Britain for transatlantic communications cable. This political rivalry in the 1890s drove Germany to invest extensively in communications technology. They kept doing that for 50 years and enabled several propaganda during world wars.
The turning point came with the internet in the late 20th century. Digital platforms opened new opportunities for the quick and efficient spread of disinformation. Social media became a vast arena for rapidly spreading false claims.
Digital platforms and social media enable bad actors to spread false information to the masses with little to no effort. On the one hand, the internet has facilitated the flow of information; on the other hand, it has introduced new methods and strategies for controlling public opinion.
Today’s sophisticated tactics of disinformation consist of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Techniques like Deep fakes, bot networks, and algorithmic manipulation are adapted by these bad actors to be used in the information age. We can imagine the scale of its impact in the coming times.
How Disinformation Affects Your Business
Disinformation has far-reaching social, emotional, and economic implications for enterprises. Customers misled by incorrect information may avoid companies they falsely believe are untrustworthy, and this belief is further triggered by negative word-of-mouth on social media.
It may potentially destroy a company’s most precious asset, its brand, in seconds.
Furthermore, financial markets are prone to disinformation too. The false claims can result in sudden declines in stock prices and huge financial losses. It can weaken investor trust and jeopardize a company’s ability to raise funds and maintain market value.
For instance, In 2017, a false narrative spread that the CEO of Pepsi had told Trump supporters to take their business elsewhere. Naturally, this tweet was bogus, but it gained traction on social media, prompting demands for boycotts. Pepsi made a swift and open denial, thus reducing the disaster. Nevertheless, it demonstrated how rapidly disinformation spreads and raised the alarm about the need for rapid response strategies.
In this risky environment, the question isn’t if your business will be targeted, but when. And when that moment comes, will you be prepared?
Build Your Shield Against Disinformation with Koat.ai
The more sophisticated the disinformation tactics are, the more advanced the technological tools to be used in countering them. This is where Koat.ai comes in. We’ve developed a cutting-edge platform designed to detect, analyze, and combat disinformation before it can harm your business.
Here’s how Koat.ai protects you:
- Full Spectrum Analysis: We integrate data from social, traditional, and news media to give you a complete picture of the information landscape.
- Advanced Bot Detection: Our sophisticated algorithms identify and neutralize AI bots and fake accounts that spread false narratives.
- Real-Time Threat Detection: Our Threat Shield and Anomaly Alerts provide instant notification of potential disinformation campaigns.
- NextGen Sentiment Analysis: Gain deep insights into how disinformation is affecting customer sentiment and behavior.
- Automated Interpretation: KoatGPT automates data interpretation, providing you with actionable insights at speed.
Act Now or Risk Everything
Disinformation is a constant and moving target, so it requires an up-front response across multiple lines of operation. Smart business leaders understand the threat and prepare proactively to minimize the damage from the disinformation.
As we see, the threat of disinformation is real, growing, and evolving daily. Waiting to act is not an option. Every moment you’re not protected is when your business is at risk. Don’t let your company become another victim of the disinformation epidemic.
Take the first step towards securing your business against the growing threat of disinformation. Schedule a demo with Koat.ai today.
