Effective Methods to Combat Identity-Based Disinformation

Experts Unveil New Toolkit to Combat Identity-Based Disinformation

In an increasingly polarized information landscape, identity-based disinformation (IBD) has emerged as a sophisticated threat targeting the core of who we are as individuals and communities. Unlike traditional misinformation that spreads factual inaccuracies, IBD specifically exploits fundamental human needs for belonging, self-esteem, security, and significance.

During a recent webinar hosted by EU DisinfoLab, Dr. Bruce White, founding director of the Organization for Identity and Cultural Development (OICD), introduced evidence-based strategies to counter these divisive narratives. The presentation, moderated by EU DisinfoLab Research Manager Maria Giovanna Sessa, offered participants practical tools from OICD’s “Reclaiming Our Narratives” toolkit.

“The challenge with identity-based disinformation is that it doesn’t just spread false information – it weaponizes our deepest psychological needs and group affiliations,” explained Dr. White during the session. “This makes traditional fact-checking approaches insufficient on their own.”

The toolkit represents a significant shift in countering disinformation by focusing on positive identity expansion rather than direct confrontation of false narratives. This approach acknowledges that simply debunking falsehoods often fails to address the emotional and psychological appeal that makes IBD so effective.

The OICD methodology introduces a three-step process for communities and communicators. First, it guides users through analyzing IBD campaigns to understand their psychological appeal. Second, it helps develop alternative narratives that fulfill the same fundamental human needs but in constructive rather than divisive ways. Finally, it provides strategies for deploying these narratives to build community resilience.

These techniques draw on OICD’s extensive fieldwork implementing their Engagement Methodology for Identities in Culture (EMIC) across various contexts. The methodology has been applied to address social polarization, aid conflict transformation, improve educational outcomes, and enhance community policing.

“What makes this approach unique is that it doesn’t just treat the symptoms – the false information – but addresses the underlying vulnerabilities that make communities susceptible to division in the first place,” Dr. White noted.

The timing of this toolkit is particularly relevant as social media platforms and democratic institutions worldwide grapple with an unprecedented scale of coordinated disinformation campaigns. Recent studies have shown that identity-targeting techniques have become increasingly sophisticated, with artificial intelligence now capable of personalizing divisive content at scale.

Maria Giovanna Sessa, who has extensively researched the use of disinformation in political communication and gender-based attacks, emphasized the importance of this work within the broader regulatory context. “As we see the implementation of frameworks like the Digital Services Act in Europe, connecting research insights with policy implementation becomes crucial,” Sessa remarked.

The webinar attracted a diverse audience of frontline communicators, community leaders, policy makers, and concerned citizens seeking practical tools to strengthen social cohesion. Participants engaged with questions about applying these methods in specific contexts, from politically divided communities to regions experiencing ethnic tensions.

While the toolkit offers promising approaches, experts acknowledge the complex challenge of countering IBD in an environment where information spreads rapidly across platforms and borders. Success requires sustained engagement and adaptation of strategies to specific cultural and social contexts.

The OICD’s work represents part of a growing recognition that addressing modern disinformation requires more than fact-checking – it demands understanding and addressing the deeper psychological and social factors that make divisive narratives appealing in the first place.

As communities worldwide face increasing polarization, approaches like those presented in the “Reclaiming Our Narratives” toolkit offer potential pathways to rebuild social cohesion from the ground up, focusing on what unites rather than divides.