Global Disinformation Index
{{POV|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox organization
| full_name = Disinformation Index Ltd
| formation = 2018
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| type = Nonprofit
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| status = Company limited by guarantee (registered in England & Wales)
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| location_city = London
| location_country = United Kingdom
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| owner =
| key_people = Clare Melford, Daniel Rogers
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| website = {{URL|https://www.disinformationindex.org/}}
}}
Global Disinformation Index (GDI) is a not-for-profit organisation based in the United KingdomBakir, V., & McStay, A. (2023). Defending the Civic Body from False Information Online. In Optimising Emotions, Incubating Falsehoods: How to Protect the Global Civic Body from Disinformation and Misinformation (pp. 205-246). Cham: Springer International Publishing.[https://www.disinformationindex.org/privacy Privacy]. GDI. Accessed 26 April 2024. which aims to mitigate the spread of disinformation on the internet.Salehi, H., & Kardouni, N. (2023). Fake News and Disinformation in the Perspective of International Peace and Security. Journal of Legal Studies, 15(2), 321-353.Zendelovski, G., & Cvetkovski, S. (2021). The Pandemic of Fake News and Disinformation in the Age of Deglobalization. Security Dialogues.Pratelli, M., & Petrocchi, M. (2022). A Structured Analysis of Journalistic Evaluations for News Source Reliability. arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.02736. The group utilises a system of ratings of news sources and websites to determine risk of disinformation.Glazunova, S., Dehghan, E., FitzGerald, K. M., Wikstrom, P., & Myint, Z. (2021). Disinformation Risk Assessment: The online news market in Australia. The group's efforts also include investigations into internet advertising,Aaronson, S. (2021). Can Trade Agreements Solve the Wicked Problem of Disinformation (No. 2021-12). and the alleged use of disinformation in relation to COVID-19 featured on various websites. The group has faced criticism and scrutiny over allegations of political bias.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/technology/state-department-disinformation-criticism.html|title=State Dept.'s Fight Against Disinformation Comes Under Attack|first=Steven Lee|last=Myers|work=The New York Times|date=December 14, 2023|via=NYTimes.com|access-date=April 26, 2024|archive-date=April 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425235228/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/technology/state-department-disinformation-criticism.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/foreign-office-link-to-biased-report-on-unreliable-news-sites-nf6035x0l|title=Foreign Office link to 'biased' report on unreliable news sites|first=Alex|last=Farber|date=April 22, 2024|via=www.thetimes.co.uk|access-date=April 26, 2024|archive-date=April 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418163215/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/foreign-office-link-to-biased-report-on-unreliable-news-sites-nf6035x0l|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/2024/04/20/its-the-sort-of-conspiracy-theory-you-might-come-across-on-a-dodgy-website-except-this-one-could-be-true/|title=Hugh Linehan: Who watches the watchers when it comes to disinformation?|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=2024-04-26|archive-date=2024-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422130243/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/2024/04/20/its-the-sort-of-conspiracy-theory-you-might-come-across-on-a-dodgy-website-except-this-one-could-be-true/|url-status=live}}{{cite web | url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/der-global-disinformation-index-bekaempft-auch-missliebige-meinungen-19665380.html | title=Der "Global Disinformation Index" bekämpft auch missliebige Meinungen | date=19 April 2024 | language=de | access-date=26 April 2024 | archive-date=22 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422214404/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/der-global-disinformation-index-bekaempft-auch-missliebige-meinungen-19665380.html | url-status=live }}{{cite news| url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/09/opinion/kat-rosenfield-experts-henry-cotton/| title=A combination of self-delusion and self-righteousness is a surefire way for experts to lose our trust| date=9 May 2024| newspaper=The Boston Globe| access-date=20 May 2024| archive-date=20 May 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520110734/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/09/opinion/kat-rosenfield-experts-henry-cotton/| url-status=live}}{{cite news| url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/the-times-view/article/the-times-view-on-press-ratings-agencies-arbiters-of-truth-3qg93hdnt| title=The Times view on press ratings agencies: Arbiters of Truth| date=13 May 2024| newspaper=The Times| access-date=20 May 2024| archive-date=20 May 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520110734/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-times-view-on-press-ratings-agencies-arbiters-of-truth-3qg93hdnt| url-status=live}}
Overview
GDI was founded in 2018 by Clare Melford, Alexandra Mousavizadeh and Daniel Rogers,Alexandra Mousavizadeh is [https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/disinformation-index.html listed as a founder] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429045519/https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/disinformation-index.html |date=2024-04-29 }} by Rand Corp.[https://www.disinformationindex.org/about About] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423195838/https://www.disinformationindex.org/about/ |date=2024-04-23 }}. GDI. Accessed 26 April 2024. and has received funding through a combination of charitable trusts, governmental organizations, and ad tech licensees of its dynamic exclusion list. Contributors include the Knight Foundation,Ignatidou, S. (2019). EU–US cooperation on tackling disinformation. International Security Department. September.{{Cite web|url=https://knightfoundation.org/knight-research-network/|title=Knight Research Network|website=Knight Foundation|access-date=2024-04-26|archive-date=2024-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418163212/https://knightfoundation.org/knight-research-network/|url-status=live}} Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO),{{Cite web|url=https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-02-21/149420/|title=Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament|access-date=2024-04-26|archive-date=2024-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418163217/https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-02-21/149420/|url-status=live}} and Luminate Group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.luminategroup.com/investee/global-disinformation-index|title=Global Disinformation Index|website=www.luminategroup.com}}
One of its strategies promoted by GDI is the aim to remove financial incentives for news content that promotes "adversarial narratives"{{clarify|What constitutes an 'adversarial narrative' according to GDI?|date=July 2024}}.[https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/disinformation-index.html Disinformation index] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429045519/https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/disinformation-index.html |date=2024-04-29 }} www.rand.org. Accessed 26 April 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/88260/html/|title=FKN0058 - Evidence on Disinformation and 'fake news'|access-date=2024-04-26|archive-date=2024-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417155724/https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/88260/html/|url-status=live}} GDI's investigation of COVID-19 disinformation focused on the generation of illicit revenue for websites.Verrall, N. (2022). COVID-19 Disinformation, misinformation and malinformation during the pandemic infodemic: a view from the United Kingdom. In COVID-19 disinformation: a multi-national, whole of society perspective (pp. 81-112). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
GDI has reported that a recent{{when|date=July 2024}} evaluation of Italian online news sites resulted in categorising one third of the evaluated sites as high risk of disinformation.Lesser, M., Stern, H. J., & Terp, S. J. (2022). Countering Russian Misinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation and Influence Campaigns in Italy Surrounding the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In IFDaD.
Reception
GDI's alleged bias was first reported by the Washington Examiner, a U.S. conservative website, which released an investigative series in February 2023 that said GDI was "part of a stealth operation blacklisting and trying to defund conservative media, likely costing the news companies large sums in advertising dollars". The journalist who authored that series of stories, Gabe Kaminsky, pointed out that all 10 outlets that GDI in a report"[https://web.archive.org/web/20240703234714/https://www.disinformationindex.org/research/2022-10-21-brief-disinformation-risk-in-the-united-states-online-media-market-october-2022/ Brief: Disinformation Risk in the United States Online Media Market, October 2022]" (archived), disinformationindex.org, 21 October 2022. identified as the "riskiest" and "worst" all leaned to the political right while all but one of the 10 ranked "least risky" leaned to the political left.{{Cite web |last=Kaminsky |first=Gabe |date=2023-02-09 |title=Disinformation Inc: Meet the groups hauling in cash to secretly blacklist conservative news - Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2749593/disinformation-inc-meet-the-groups-hauling-in-cash-to-secretly-blacklist-conservative-news/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |language=en-US}} Kaminsky said that GDI received $100,000 from the U.S. Department of State.{{Cite web |last=Kaminsky |first=Gabe |date=2023-02-10 |title=Disinformation Inc: State Department bankrolls group secretly blacklisting conservative media - Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/finance/2773271/disinformation-inc-state-department-bankrolls-group-secretly-blacklisting-conservative-media/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Flood |first=Brian |date=2023-02-15 |title=State Department funds 'disinformation' index targeting non-liberal and conservative news outlets: report |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/state-department-funds-disinformation-index-targeting-non-liberal-and-conservative-news-outlets-report |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Soave |first=Robby |date=2023-02-14 |title=U.S. State Department funds a disinformation index that warns advertisers to avoid 'Reason' |url=https://reason.com/2023/02/14/global-disinformation-index-state-department-list-risk-reason/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=Reason.com |language=en-US}} However, the State Department has denied that the grant was used to "blacklist" any companies in the U.S.{{Cite news |last=Board |first=Editorial |date=2024-03-19 |title=Opinion {{!}} Don't defund the fight against Russia and China's disinformation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/19/house-republicans-disinformation-global-engagement-center/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite news |last=Raymond |first=Nate |date=December 6, 2023 |title=Texas claims US State Department funds tech that censors conservative news |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/texas-claims-us-state-department-funds-tech-that-censors-conservative-news-2023-12-06/ |work=Reuters}}
The series in the Washington Examiner sparked outcry among conservatives, and prompted a lawsuit by The Daily Wire and The Federalist, two U.S. right-wing websites, against the State Department.{{Cite web |title=Daily Wire Censorship Claims Survive Against State Department |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/daily-wire-censorship-claims-survive-against-state-department |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-05-07 |title=NCLA Defeats Motion to Dismiss, Wins Expedited Discovery in Suit Alleging State Dept. Censorship |url=https://www.morningstar.com/news/globe-newswire/9113290/ncla-defeats-motion-to-dismiss-wins-expedited-discovery-in-suit-alleging-state-dept-censorship |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=Morningstar, Inc. |language=en}} The State Department-funded National Endowment for Democracy announced in 2023 that it would no longer fund GDI.{{Cite web |last=Kaminsky |first=Gabe |date=2023-02-20 |title=Disinformation Inc: State Department-backed group cuts ties with group blacklisting conservative news - Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/1877093/disinformation-inc-state-department-backed-group-cuts-ties-with-group-blacklisting-conservative-news/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |language=en-US}} After the series of stories, Microsoft's Xandr cut ties with GDI and exited the political advertising space.{{Cite news |last=Fischer |first=Sara |date=July 27, 2023 |title=Microsoft's Xandr bans political ads |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/07/27/microsoft-xandr-political-ads-ban |work=Axios}}{{Cite web |last=Kaminsky |first=Gabe |date=2023-02-11 |title=Disinformation Inc: Microsoft suspends relationship with group blacklisting conservative news - Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/485948/disinformation-inc-microsoft-suspends-relationship-with-group-blacklisting-conservative-news/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |language=en-US}} Congress passed a law in 2023 that banned the Pentagon from funding GDI in the future for military recruitment advertising.{{Cite web |last=Kaminsky |first=Gabe |date=2023-12-11 |title=Inside the GOP's tense negotiations with Democrats to ban Pentagon-funded 'censorship' - Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2439614/inside-the-gops-tense-negotiations-with-democrats-to-ban-pentagon-funded-censorship/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |language=en-US}}
In April 2024, UnHerd CEO Freddie Sayers criticized GDI after it placed UnHerd on its "dynamic exclusion list", leading to a reduction in UnHerd's advertising revenue.{{cite news |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/marketing/anti-trans-narratives-unherd-advertising-blacklist-global-disinformation-index/ |title='Anti-trans narratives' see Unherd put on advertising blacklist |publisher=Press Gazette |date=23 April 2024 |first=Dominic |last=Ponsford |access-date=20 June 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/2024/04/20/its-the-sort-of-conspiracy-theory-you-might-come-across-on-a-dodgy-website-except-this-one-could-be-true/ |title=Who watches the watchers when it comes to disinformation? |publisher=The Irish Times |date=20 April 2024 |first=High |last=Linehan |access-date=20 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420075350/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/2024/04/20/its-the-sort-of-conspiracy-theory-you-might-come-across-on-a-dodgy-website-except-this-one-could-be-true/ |archive-date=20 April 2024}} Sayers argued that GDI's determination was based on ideological disagreements rather than factual inaccuracies.{{cite web |last1=Sayers |first1=Freddie |title=Inside the disinformation industry |url=https://unherd.com/2024/04/inside-the-disinformation-industry/ |website=UnHerd |date=17 April 2024}} In response, Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, called for GDI to be shut down.Earle, A (2024). [https://unherd.com/newsroom/elon-musk-global-disinformation-index-should-be-shut-down/ "Elon Musk: Global Disinformation Index should be shut down."] UnHerd. April 19 2024. Accessed May 10 2024.
Following UnHerd's article, UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch joined around 10 MPs in raising concerns about GDI and their approach to distinguishing between free speech and disinformation.{{cite web |last1=Farber |first1=Alex |title=MPs oppose funding disinformation ratings agency in blacklisting row |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/mps-oppose-funding-disinformation-ratings-agency-in-blacklisting-row-l9gwp03fd |website=The Times |date=19 April 2024 |access-date=11 May 2024 |archive-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512004245/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mps-oppose-funding-disinformation-ratings-agency-in-blacklisting-row-l9gwp03fd |url-status=live }} In response to Badenoch's concerns, Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated that FCDO had ceased funding GDI in 2023 and did not plan to resume funding.Earle, A (2024). [https://unherd.com/newsroom/david-cameron-government-will-no-longer-fund-global-disinformation-index/ "David Cameron: Government will no longer fund Global Disinformation Index."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510044257/https://unherd.com/newsroom/david-cameron-government-will-no-longer-fund-global-disinformation-index/ |date=2024-05-10 }} UnHerd. May 9 2024. Accessed May 10 2024.{{cite web |last1=Farber |first1=Alex |title=Cameron says government has stopped funding disinformation index |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/media/article/cameron-says-government-has-stopped-funding-disinformation-index-jxdk0qf7s |website=The Times |date=10 May 2024 |access-date=11 May 2024 |archive-date=11 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511232729/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cameron-says-government-has-stopped-funding-disinformation-index-jxdk0qf7s |url-status=live }}
Advisory panel
Until March 2023, GDI publicly disclosed members of its "Advisory Panel". Amongst others, these have included Anne Applebaum, Peter Pomerantsev, Miguel Martinez and Hany Farid.{{cite web |url=https://www.disinformationindex.org/about/ |title=Our Story - Advisory Plan |publisher=Global Disinformation Index |access-date=22 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210003459/https://www.disinformationindex.org/about/ |archive-date=10 February 2023}} Reason reported in February 2023 that Applebaum had asked for her name to removed from the GDI website as she had not been in contact with GDI since 2019.{{cite news |url=https://reason.com/2023/02/28/global-disinformation-index-lab-leak-theory-media-misinfo/ |title=Global Disinformation Index, Inform Thyself |publisher=Reason |date=28 February 2023 |first=Robby |last=Soave |access-date=22 June 2024}}