The proliferation of mis-, dis- and mal-information (MDM) has been recognised as one of the biggest challenges faced in this century. It can mislead individuals and organisations into making potentially harmful decisions, and has been shown to divide society on contentious yet important issues.

Misinformation related to vaccine safety, for instance, is believed to have contributed to vaccine hesitancy, undermining efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2016 United States presidential election, the spread of false information was linked to foreign interference campaigns aimed at further dividing what was a highly politicised social landscape. In response, MDM, colloquially known as “fake-news”, was described as a genuine threat to democracy.

From an academic standpoint, their definitions are clear; misinformation is false or misleading information, disinformation is false information used to deceive others, while mal-information uses true information maliciously, to deceive or inflict personal harm. From a practical standpoint however, the presence and effect of MDM is far less clear; and this is a factor that makes it such an effective tool for those with malicious intent. When falsity in information goes unnoticed, or is accepted as truth, it will spread rapidly, and is inherently difficult to correct.

As consumers of digital information become increasingly aware of the presence of MDM in the digital space, and its ability to deceive and misguide them, trust in news and digital information is eroded.

Existing efforts to identify and curb the spread of MDM have mainly focused on technical interventions. The onus is placed on social media and news platforms to police their own content and flag to users when content may contain MDM. In some cases, users are banned or content removed. Some governments have also passed legislation to censor or correct verified false claims.

However, the effectiveness of such interventions remains questionable as they neglect to consider the influence of consumer behaviour, and in particular the beliefs and biases at play when individuals consume and interact with information. Once a false claim has been circulated and accepted as truth, its removal or censorship may be ineffective in correcting beliefs and reversing any damage that was done.

Consumer Behaviour at the Core
To effectively address the threat of MDM, the problem must be viewed holistically, and this means understanding not only the technical aspects of its creation and dissemination, but also the motivations and decisions at play when consumers seek or are served particular information.

Consumers often have inherent biases based on pre-existing beliefs and values, and these can influence how they will respond when presented with a piece of information, be it true or false.

The question researchers are asking is how such behaviours facilitate or amplify the presence and impact of MDM.  To answer this, Professor Chen Tsuhan, NUS Deputy President (Innovation and Enterprise) and Professor Lee Mong Li from the NUS School of Computing and the NUS Centre for Trusted Internet and Community have embarked on a five-year programme that will investigate digital information creation, dissemination and consumption using a lens of consumer behaviour. Through this unique approach, they hope to identify vulnerabilities in the digital information pipeline, and develop tools and strategies needed to instil digital information resilience in online citizens.