Buffett Institute Winter Symposium Examines Online Disinformation

Experts Sound Alarm on Disinformation Crisis at Global Affairs Symposium

Disinformation represents “our number one national security issue,” warned Ellen McCarthy, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, during a high-profile symposium held last week that brought together leading experts to address the growing crisis of false information in the digital age.

The Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, in partnership with the Center for Communication and Public Policy, hosted its annual winter symposium titled “Global Disinformation in a Post-Moderation World.” The two-day event featured five panel discussions exploring how traditional safeguards against disinformation have eroded in recent years.

The symposium examined the retreat from content moderation on major platforms, challenges to fact-checking efforts, and potential solutions through media literacy and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Experts painted a concerning picture of how disinformation threatens democratic institutions worldwide.

“I’m really concerned about how we continue to operate as a free and open society — and be cutting-edge and innovative and top of our game — in a world where we don’t trust anything,” McCarthy, who now serves as founder and CEO of the Trust in Media Cooperative, told attendees.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs hosted Thursday’s initial panel, where speakers highlighted how protective measures against disinformation have weakened significantly. Suzanne Nossel, a senior fellow at the Council and former CEO of PEN America, described the situation as “a real test of a democratic country,” noting a fundamental shift in how information reaches consumers.

“Now your news chooses you because the algorithm discerns what engages you the most and knows how to push your buttons,” Nossel explained, highlighting how personalized content delivery has replaced traditional news consumption patterns.

James Warren, executive editor of NewsGuard, an organization that evaluates online journalism credibility, critiqued major tech platforms’ approach to fact-checking. Warren argued that companies like Meta and Google have scaled back already inadequate fact-checking efforts, suggesting a fundamental conflict with their business models.

“The companies have never really wanted to undermine a revenue model, based in some substantial measure, on audiences devouring craziness,” Warren said.

Friday’s sessions at the Buffett Institute delved deeper into specific aspects of the disinformation landscape. The “Innovating Resilience to Disinformation” panel presented research on how people encounter false information online and discussed emerging approaches to strengthen media literacy.

Another panel explored the need for alignment between government, technology companies, and the public in combating disinformation. David Bray, distinguished fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center, contextualized the current moment: “We have had this a long time coming, with the internet, plus smartphones, and now AI. It’s going to be the messiness of being a free society.”

The symposium also highlighted international dimensions of the problem. A panel on state-sponsored disinformation examined how Ukraine and Taiwan face organized campaigns targeting their democratic institutions, particularly around elections. Speakers from both countries emphasized the importance of building community trust through rigorous fact-checking efforts.

The final session, “Ensuring Accountability for Disinformation,” addressed potential solutions through public pressure, transparency legislation, and exposing systemic failures that enable harmful content to spread. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, who was notably barred from entering the U.S. by the Trump administration in December for allegedly censoring American voices, made a compelling case for transparency.

“We need to have legislation to switch on the floodlights so we can actually see how we’re being manipulated, how we’re being lied to,” Ahmed argued. “And I actually think one of the greatest ways we protect ourselves against being misled is to understand the precise ways in which we are.”

The symposium underscored the growing consensus among experts that disinformation represents not just a technological or political challenge, but a fundamental threat to democratic societies. As digital platforms evolve and artificial intelligence accelerates the creation and distribution of false information, the speakers emphasized the urgent need for new frameworks, greater platform accountability, and enhanced public literacy to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.