Irish Examiner view: Fake news a nefarious online art

We all face an uphill battle in coping with malign disinformation

A website founded by a former US marine who is living in Russia has fuelled a rumour that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had purchased two luxury yachts with US aid money. Picture: Efrem Lukatsky/AP

Online disinformation has become something of an art form, with disingenuous and malign players working out ways of creating fear, suspicion, and distrust among political, economic, and ideological enemies.

An excellent example is the uncovering of a sinister plot to undermine US political confidence in how Ukraine’s war against Russia is being waged and, potentially, to threaten US funding for Ukraine.