During times of conflict, confusion often reigns and facts can often be misinterpreted without any malice intended; the UN calls this misinformation rather than disinformation.

While misinformation refers to the accidental spread of falsehoods, disinformation can be circulated intentionally by State or non-State actors, including during an armed conflict, to influence public or political opinion; it can affect all areas of development, from peace and security to humanitarian aid.

At these times, the UN underlines the importance of getting news from trusted sources while urging platforms to ramp up efforts to enforce their own guardrails against the spread of harmful content.