FEBRUARY 29 — I recall feeling extremely grateful when I first discovered the Internet and the World Wide Web. 

Finally, I thought, God has given real power of information, communication and influence to the ordinary people. No longer, I thought, would the politicians and religionists monopolise, control, manipulate and selectively filter information and knowledge.  I had hoped and believed this greater freedom of expression and democratisation of the availability of facts and information will liberate the ordinary people from the shackles of politicians and the religionists. 

The nature and volume of information and facts you possess will determine, to a large extent, your power to shape your life and your reality. Collectively, the same principle will have a similar effect on society. It is so powerful that those who wish to have power over the minds and souls of others will try very hard to influence and manipulate the nature of information that is available. They will also try to restrict its volume by various means including legal, social and religious censorship. Throughout the course of human history, religionists and politicians endeavour to control the volume and nature of information available in society.

This is where we have to be wary and treat information and facts available on the Internet with utmost caution and critical evaluation. The very Internet which can be a useful source of information has been deviously turned into a platform to spread disinformation.

One of the oldest propaganda strategies which has resurfaced with the advent of the Internet is the so-called effective tool of disinformation. 

Disinformation basically refers to false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumours) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth. It is different from misinformation which is false information arising from ignorance or mistake. 

Disinformation is the deliberate act of spreading lies to achieve a certain mindset change or create a certain opinion. Disinformation is designed to mislead.

Our mind often works in a paradoxical manner and for the unsophisticated, it is easily manipulated. We like to assume, for example, a view held by the majority is often correct or something often repeated by many must have some element of truth. It is this kind of mindset that provides the ready fodder for disinformation to be made widespread. 

False or inaccurate reporting, or disinformation, can destabilise the peace and harmony of a country, its economy and national security. The wide availability of user-provided content in online social media facilitates the aggregation of people around common interests, world views, and narratives. However, it also allows for the rapid dissemination of unsubstantiated rumours and political theories that often elicit rapid, large, but naive social responses. Sometimes, it can be dangerous to the extent that leaders can be wrongly toppled and nations destroyed. 

The dissemination and control of information are indispensable ingredients of violent or political conflicts, with all parties involved in a conflict or at war seeking to frame the discussion on their own terms. Those attempts at information control often involve the dissemination of misinformation or disinformation. This affects your so-called freedom of information because you are getting lies instead of truth. In other words, unbridled democracy destroys democracy. 

Before you think I am exaggerating, consider the war against Iraq.  The tactics used by the Bush administration to justify its war against Iraq is one clear example of how dangerous and violent disinformation can be in modern history. Bush and Blair used disinformation to destroy an entire civilisation once upon a time called Mesopotamia which is current Iraq with the repeated mantra that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. In hindsight, the world today knows the war against Iraq was nothing more than to achieve the objective of regime change and oil. 

We'd like to believe most of what we know is accurate and that if presented with facts to prove we're wrong, we would sheepishly accept the truth and change our views accordingly.

A new body of research out of the University of Michigan suggests that's not what happens, that we base our opinions on beliefs and when presented with contradictory facts, we adhere to our original belief even more strongly. The phenomenon is called backfire, and it plays an especially important role in how we shape and solidify our beliefs on highly partisan issues. This means a responsible government must step in to address security issues that arise from disinformation.

While I am an advocate of free speech and thought, I am however equally an advocate of national security. I observe that the volume of disinformation concerning our country’s politics has been on a steady frightening rise since 2008 through online social media. The political reasons why this has been occurring, for me, are quite obvious and I may touch on them in another article.

I am however aghast our government seems unprepared to address the increasing spread of disinformation that appears to be tearing our country apart politically. The government has to do what is necessary to safeguard the economy and national security, and not close one eye for fear of losing popularity for political expediency.

* Jahaberdeen is a senior lawyer and founder of Rapera, a movement that encourages thinking and compassionate citizens. He can be reached at rapera.jay@gmail.com

**This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.