This Week In Disinformation
19 - 25 April 2025
Disinformation is reshaping democracies and public trust worldwide.
From Ireland’s algorithm oversight failures to South Korea’s AI-driven election chaos, and even inside U.S. health debates.
This week, we unpack critical stories exposing how misinformation, censorship claims, and digital manipulation threaten truth and governance on multiple fronts.
Ready to understand what’s really happening behind the headlines and why it matters to you?
RFK Jr’s April 16 2025 Speech Assessed as Malinformation
🗓️Context
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has previously led the Children’s Health Defence, a non-profit long tied to claims linking vaccines and autism.
He was confirmed as the Department of Health & Human Services Secretary in March 2025 amid fierce debate over his anti-vaccine stance.
Furthermore, a CDC report shows 1 in 31 U.S. children aged 8 have autism, a rise driven by better screening.
📌 What Happened
On April 16, 2025, Kennedy called autism a “preventable disease” and blamed “environmental toxins,” asserting, “these are kids who will never pay taxes, never hold a job, never go on a date, never write a poem, never use a toilet unassisted.”
After public backlash, he clarified he was referring to the most severely affected 25%. This is a figure that overstates the proportion with such profound limitation.
His proposal for an “environmental registry” remains vague, with no specifics on implementation or scope.
🔍 The Narrative Behind It
NPR and others noted Kennedy’s use of “epidemic” language, which experts say can stigmatize autistic people. Furthermore, this also misleads the public about the nature of autism.
While his rhetoric fits a pattern of fear-based framing, some experts acknowledge that increased focus on autism rates could help drive support for needed services.
📝 Information Effects Statement Assessment
Kennedy’s speech is a textbook example of malinformation. Malinformation, according to UNESCO is using real statistics (such as autism prevalence) in misleading ways to foster fear and stigma.
Kennedy’s claims have been widely debunked by the CDC, WHO, and independent experts, all of whom confirm there is no causal link between vaccines and autism.
Recent surveys indicate that 24% of parents exposed to these claims report delaying or skipping shots, and 61% have heard the debunked vaccine-autism link.
It must also be noted that while some autistic individuals require lifelong support, however many live independently and thrive. This contradicts Kennedy’s sweeping generalizations.
Sources:
FactCheck.Org: Kennedy Repeats False and Misleading Claims in Confirmation Hearing
PBS News: Fact-checking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements on autism
BBC News: RFK Jr pledges to find the cause of autism by September
ABC News: RFK Jr. faces backlash over controversial autism remarks, clarifies
U.S. Disinformation Office Shut Down
🗓️Context
The the U.S. Global Engagement Centre (GEC) was originally established to counter foreign disinformation in 2011 under and Executive Order 13584.
By late 2024, it faced a contentious reauthorization debate in Congress. While Republicans accused it of domestic overreach, some Democrats defended its overseas mission.
The GEC’s mandate expired on December 23, 2024, and its functions were briefly absorbed into a new Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office.
📌 What Happened
On April 16, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the immediate closure of the office, arguing that some of its operations conflicted with American free speech principles.
Rubio claimed the office spent over $50 million annually to suppress domestic voices, but no evidence has been provided to support this allegation. The GEC’s actual activities primarily focused on countering foreign propaganda, according to its official mandate.
⚡ The Fallout
Democrats and several national security experts warned that ending the office could leave the U.S. more vulnerable to foreign disinformation, particularly from Russia and China.
Analysts from the Atlantic Council and RAND Corporation noted that dismantling a $61 million countermeasure could erode early-warning systems for propaganda campaigns, especially in Africa and Latin America, where U.S. influence is already challenged.
🔍 The Narrative Behind It
The closure highlights how “anti-censorship” rhetoric can transform a foreign-focused counter-disinformation tool into a partisan flashpoint.
Some observers argue that this is a deliberate tactic—sometimes called “cognitive warfare”—to discredit fact-based defences by equating them with threats to civil liberties.
However, critics of the GEC also raise legitimate concerns about transparency and government overreach.
📝 Information Effects Statement Assessment
While concerns about free speech are valid, the loss of early-warning detection capabilities makes it easier for foreign disinformation actors to operate. Research by the Brookings Institution in 2023 found that early-warning systems are among the most effective tools for countering coordinated disinformation campaigns.
Without such infrastructure, the U.S. risks falling behind rivals in the global information space and undermining trust in future counter-disinformation efforts. To mitigate these risks, policymakers should consider independent oversight and clear legal boundaries for any future counter-disinformation initiatives.
Sources
Politico: State Department’s little-known weapon for countering foreign disinformation faces uncertain future
Cyberscoop: State Department’s disinformation office to close after funding nixed in NDAA
Reuters: US state department closing office aimed at countering foregin disinformation
Al Jazeera: US government agency targeting foreign disinformation shuts down
Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Quit National Strategy Against Disinformation
🗓️Context
Ireland’s new national strategy against disinformation launched on 22 April 2025. The plan was drawn up by a working group over two years.
Furthermore, EU research shows feeds tailored by these algorithms are the main news source for Europeans aged 30 and under.
📌 What Happened
The strategy contains no measures to audit social media recommender algorithms. ICCL warned unchecked algorithms fuel disinformation, extremism, and self-harm.
Dr Johnny Ryan called the omission risky for public debate. Minister Patrick O’Donovan said this is a first, whole-of-society step.
⚡ The Fallout
The ICCL warns harmful content can spread unchecked to youth. A poll finds 82% of Irish back default opt-outs for profiling algorithms. Advocates urge Coimisiún na Meán to adopt binding DSA codes on algorithms.
This gap risks eroding trust in democracy and information integrity.
📝 Information Effects Statement Assessment
The current strategy’s reliance on voluntary codes and limited algorithm audits is fundamentally inadequate. Research by the European Digital Media Observatory in 2023 found that voluntary industry codes have, at best, led to minor, short-term reductions in visible disinformation. However, the most harmful content remaining unaffected due to lack of enforcement, transparency, and psychological reliance.
By failing to mandate independent, binding audits and default user opt-outs from algorithmic profiling, the strategy leaves the main vector for disinformation—algorithmic recommendation systems—almost entirely untouched.
This is not just a policy gap; it is a strategic failure that risks allowing disinformation to continue spreading unchecked.
Sources:
Irish Legal News: Disinformation strategy undermined by inaction on social media algorithms
Irish Council for Civil Liberties: Glaring and dangerous omission in State’s new plan to tackle disinformation
Disinformation Targeting South Korea In Upcoming Election
🗓️ Context
South Korea will hold a presidential election on June 3, 2025, after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached. The campaign has turned into a digital war zone, with both sides using social media to spread fake news and deepfakes.
A recent survey found that 60% of South Koreans now get their news from YouTube. Trust in traditional news outlets has dropped, making it easier for false stories to spread.
📌 What Happened
As the election nears, fake videos and news are everywhere online. One viral TikTok showed opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung in a clown suit behind bars. The video was fake, but it spread fast. Lee’s team has reported 17 people to the police for making and sharing it.
Many sides are guilty. After martial law was declared, social media filled with wild claims and conspiracy theories. Some YouTubers say the courts are leaking secrets; others claim the impeachment was stopped. Many fake news sites use AI to copy the look of real news outlets.
Money is a big reason for this. Some YouTubers make over $100,000 a month by posting shocking content and getting paid by viewers.
🔍 The Narrative Behind It
Experts call this “cognitive hacking” and is a known form of “cognitive warfare.” It means using digital tricks to change how people think and trust.
Most people in South Korea get news from social media or unknown sources rather than official news. This makes it easy for lies and deepfakes to go viral.
📝 Information Effects Statement Assessment
South Korea’s election is at risk because of fake news and deepfakes. These tricks are not only changing the vote. Studies show South Korea has one of the highest rates of getting news from social media. Both sides use paid bots and influencers to spread their message.
If this keeps up, it will be hard for voters to know what is true. Other countries should pay attention. Without fact-checking and better digital skills, anyone can be fooled by fake stories online.
South Korea’s election shows how fake news and deepfakes can damage democracy. Trust in news is low, and false stories are everywhere. Without action, the problem will only get worse.
Sources:
Asian News Network: Online disinformation rampant ahead of South Korea election
Korean Times: Why people believe fake news on China's election interference
Japan News: Online Disinformation Rampant Ahead of South Korea Election
🗣️ Let’s Talk—What Are You Seeing?
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