Skip Navigation

Disinformation and Information Integrity

Disinformation negatively impacts public health, democracy, and national security. Policy—especially open government policy—has a role to play not only in nurturing a healthy information environment, but also in ensuring that “fake news laws” are not co-opted into a weapon to silence voices critical of the powerful. Information integrity is also essential to ensure that lines of communication between governments and members of the public are trustworthy and accurate. Open government approaches can help promote high-quality information, rather than taking a punitive approach to disinformation.

A multi-stakeholder approach to counter disinformation is necessary to ensure that solutions are feasible, protect rights, and take positive steps to promote information integrity. Collaboration between governments, civil society, journalists, and the private sector (especially big tech) is needed to effectively counter misinformation and disinformation. Other actors, such as political parties and parliamentarians, can also play an essential role in ensuring the integrity of the information space.

Open Gov Challenge: Digital Governance

With OGP’s 2023-2028 Strategy, OGP members are set to work toward a number of aspirational thematic reforms through the Open Gov Challenge. This section of the Open Gov Guide addresses Digital Governance.

Challenge prompt: Strengthen transparency and public oversight of AI, automated decision-making, and data protection frameworks.

Actions and reforms that fit within the scope of this challenge area are:

  • Making underlying data publicly available (e.g. through transparency registers for algorithms).
  • Embedding human rights impact assessments.
  • Creating public grievance mechanisms.
  • Creating or strengthening independent oversight agencies.
  • Creating specific public participation opportunities.
  • Creating specific mechanisms to promote digital inclusion on AI, automated-decision making, and data protection frameworks and prevent online discrimination and disinformation based on their use.
  • Reforms that protect personal data and privacy frameworks through establishing transparency, accountability, and consent mechanisms and requirements.

Key Terms

Definitions for key terms such as disinformation, information integrity, and misinformation.

  • Disinformation: Disinformation is usually defined as information known by the speaker to be false—it is therefore always purposeful. However, disinformation is not necessarily always composed of outright lies or fabrications. It can be composed of mostly facts, stripped of context or blended with falsehoods to support the intended message, and is always part of a larger plan or agenda.
  • Information integrity: Information integrity refers to the necessity of having “the accuracy, consistency, and reliability” of information to create an information ecosystem that does not promote false, misleading, or manipulated ideas.
  • Misinformation: This is the inadvertent sharing of false information.

The Evidence

There are numerous elements to countering disinformation—no single approach is effective by itself. The evidence shows that several open government approaches can increase the effectiveness of efforts to preserve information integrity.

  • According to research by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), there is strong evidence that increasing media literacy and supporting local journalism are effective avenues to combat misinformation and disinformation. On the side of social media and other tech platforms, CEIP suggests that modifying recommendation algorithms to disfavor disinformation is another strategy to lessen its impact.
  • A plurality of independent information sources ensures that the public can hear news from a variety of sources. A thriving local journalism sector, in particular, can contribute to trustworthy information.

Reform Guidance

The recommendations below represent reforms that national and local governments, representatives of civil society organizations, and others can consider for their action plans and the Open Gov Challenge. The reforms are categorized according to OGP’s principal values: transparency, civic participation, and public accountability. Reforms should be adapted to fit the domestic context, and involve and coordinate with other levels and branches of government.

Reforms across policy areas are also tagged by the estimated degree of difficulty in implementation. Though progress is often not linear, the recommendations have been categorized using these labels to give the reader a sense of how different reforms can work together to raise the ambition of open government approaches.

Recommended Reforms Key

  • Transparency: Transparency empowers citizens to exercise their rights, hold the government accountable, and participate in decision-making processes. Examples of relevant activities include the proactive or reactive publication of government-held information, legal or institutional frameworks to strengthen the right to access information, and disclosing information using open data standards.

  • Civic Participation: When people are engaged, governments and public institutions are more responsive, innovative, and effective. Examples of relevant initiatives include new or improved processes and mechanisms for the public to contribute to decisions, participatory mechanisms to involve underrepresented groups in policy making, and a legal environment that guarantees civil and political rights.

  • Public Accountability: Public accountability occurs when public institutions must justify their actions, act upon requirements and criticisms, and take responsibility for failure to perform according to laws or commitments. Importantly, public accountability means that members of the public can also access and trigger accountability mechanisms. Examples of relevant activities include citizen audits of performance, new or improved mechanisms or institutions that respond to citizen-initiated appeals processes, and improved access to justice.

  • Inclusion: Inclusion is fundamental to achieving more equitable, representative, and accountable policies that truly serve all people. This includes increasing the voice, agency, and influence of historically discriminated or underrepresented groups. Depending on the context, traditionally underrepresented groups may experience discrimination based on gender, sexual identity, race, ethnicity, age, geography, differing ability, legal, or socioeconomic status.

  • Foundational: This tag is used for reforms that are the essential building blocks of a policy area. “Foundational” does not mean low ambition or low impact. These recommendations often establish basic legal frameworks and institutional structures.

  • Intermediate: This tag is used for reforms that are complex and often involve coordination and outreach between branches, institutions, and levels of government, with the public or between countries.

  • Advanced: This tag is used for reforms that close important loopholes to make existing work more effective and impactful. Specifically, “Advanced” reforms are particularly ambitious, innovative or close important loopholes to make existing work more effective, impactful or sustainable. They are often applied in mature environments where they seek to institutionalize a good practice that has already shown results.

  • Executive: The executive branch of government is responsible for designing, implementing, and enforcing laws, policies, and initiatives. It is typically led by the head of state or government, such as a president or prime minister, along with their appointed cabinet members. The executive branch’s functions also include overseeing the day-to-day operations of the government, managing foreign affairs, and directing the country’s armed forces. In democratic systems, the executive branch is accountable to the legislature and the electorate, with its powers and limitations outlined in the constitution or legal framework of the respective country.

  • Legislative: The legislative branch of government is responsible for making laws and regulations and overseeing the functioning of the government. It typically consists of a body of elected representatives, such as a parliament, congress, or assembly, which is tasked with proposing, debating, amending, and ultimately passing legislation. The legislative branch plays a crucial role in representing the interests of the people, as its members are elected to office by the public. In addition to law-making, this branch often holds the power to levy taxes, allocate funds, and conduct certain investigations into matters of public concern. The structure and powers of the legislative branch are usually outlined in a country’s constitution or legal framework, and it serves as a check on the executive and judicial branches to ensure a system of checks and balances within a state.

Examples of Reforms from OGP and Beyond

The following examples are commitments previously made within or beyond OGP that demonstrate elements of the recommendations made above. OGP members have recently begun to tackle information integrity issues through action plans, with 12 of the 13 commitments made to date submitted between 2021 and 2023. Nine national members (about 12 percent) have committed to working on this issue to date.

OGP Reforms
  • AUSTRALIA Outreach Campaign to Improve Media Literacy: Committed to funding outreach programs to improve the media literacy of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, especially those that are vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation. Also includes training for public servants to better understand the media habits, resources, and influencers in CALD communities.
  • FRANCE Awareness Campaign to Prevent Misinformation: Committed to designing an awareness campaign on disinformation and cybercrime, developing a public communications plan (with best practices and warnings), and holding public debates with experts on information manipulation in 2024. This builds on earlier efforts within OGP to convene experts across sectors on how to counter information manipulation.
  • FINLAND Open Data to Combat Misinformation: Committed to hosting intersectoral dialogues on appropriately opening and sharing data during exceptional security situations.
  • GHANA Regulations to Implement Media Literacy Law: Committed to collaborating with civil society in a working group to conduct a human rights assessment of existing legislation on misinformation and disinformation while protecting free speech. The working group will also implement fact-checking, media literacy, and public education initiatives.
  • INDONESIA Public Oversight of Elections: Committed to establishing a public monitoring body to oversee elections and counter disinformation.
Beyond OGP Action Plans
  • ARMENIA National Strategy to Combat Disinformation: Adopted a two-year national strategy and action plan to combat disinformation, co-created with the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia and the Center for International Private Enterprise. The plan includes strengthening government officials’ ability to prevent, identify, and analyze disinformation; improving coordination with the private sector; and increasing public awareness of this issue.
  • ESTONIA Media Literacy in Public School Curricula: Began teaching media literacy concepts throughout its public school curricula for elementary and middle school students, as well as requiring high school students to take an intensive “media and influence” training course as part of its efforts to combat disinformation.
  • TAIWAN Government Support for CSO Fact Checking: Began a collaboration between Taiwan’s parliament (the Legislative Yuan) and fact-checking CSOs under the Digital Accountability project. The project provides a fact-checking service on the Line messaging app called the “Line Fact Checker,” which allows Line users to upload links or statements that can be compared automatically against content that has already been verified or escalated to manual review if needed.
  • UNITED KINGDOM Parliamentary Inquiry on Disinformation: From 2018 to 2019, the UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee conducted an 18-month inquiry on disinformation caused by “malign forces.” The inquiry covered individuals’ rights over their privacy, how online information might affect and influence their political choices, and interference in political elections.

The Role of Local Governments

Subnational governments have a critical role to play in all aspects of promoting information integrity. They play a fundamental role in upholding civil liberties, promoting an independent press, and educating citizens of all ages.

In addition, when it comes to online disinformation, subnational legislation can be essential, especially when passed by important provinces or states. For example, though such federal or national legislation is missing in the United States, state-level legislation passed by California and Illinois also provides potential models to address disinformation, including by foreign actors.


Who is working on this topic?

A
Aragón, Spain
Armenia Armenia
Australia Australia
B
Basque Country, Spain
Brazil Brazil
Bulgaria Bulgaria
C
Canada Canada
Chile Chile
Côte d'Ivoire Côte D'ivoire
Croatia Croatia
D
Denmark Denmark
E
Ecuador Ecuador
Estonia Estonia
F
Finland Finland
France France
G
Georgia Georgia
Germany Germany
Ghana Ghana
Greece Greece
I
Indonesia Indonesia
Ireland Ireland
Italy Italy
K
Kenya Kenya
Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine
L
Latvia Latvia
M
Malawi Malawi
Mexico Mexico
N
Netherlands Netherlands
New Zealand New Zealand
Nigeria Nigeria
Norway
O
Ontario, Canada
P
Peru Peru
Portugal Portugal
Q
Québec, Canada
R
Republic of Korea Republic Of Korea
S
Scotland, United Kingdom
Seychelles
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone
South Africa South Africa
Spain Spain
T
Tunisia Tunisia
U
Ukraine Ukraine
United Kingdom United Kingdom
United States United States
Uruguay Uruguay

This list reflects members with commitments in the “Digital Governance” policy area of the Data Dashboard.


Active OGP Partners

The following organizations have recently worked on this issue in the context of OGP at the national or international level. They may have additional insights on the topic. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are interested in national-level initiatives, please contact research@opengovpartnership.org.


Benchmarking Data

The OGP 2023-2028 Strategy sets out the Open Gov Challenge and aims to provide clear benchmarks for performance through reliable data.

While benchmarks for individual countries and Open Gov Guide recommendations are not yet integrated, for this chapter, interested individuals may rely on the following data sets:

  • The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) have guidance on countering disinformation. NDI also led the creation of a database of interventions related to information integrity, with support from IFES and IRI.

Guidance & Standards

While the list below is not exhaustive, it aims to provide a range of recommendations, standards, and analysis to guide reform in this policy area.

  • The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) also have guidance on countering disinformation. Other CEPPS members have also contributed to this topic. NDI led the creation of a database of interventions related to information integrity, with support from IFES and IRI, and published a set of democratic principles for ensuring that the use of technology in the information space protects civil liberties.
  • Deutsche Welle Akademie has a series of resources that comprise its “Tackling Disinformation: A Learning Guide,” which is targeted at counter-disinformation professionals, including resources specific to developing countries.
  • The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has a review of evidence on what works in countering disinformation. This may help policy makers understand which interventions are most effective, which require greater evidence, and which are difficult to scale.
  • The government of Canada published a guidebook for civil servants on combatting disinformation, which includes strategies to engage with the public to prevent the spread of disinformation and actions to take against harmful content.
Open Government Partnership