The Digital Fog: Navigating Misinformation & Disinformation in 2026
Welcome to the first deep-dive of our 2026 series. Each month, we explore a critical global risk identified in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risk Report; unpacking its scope, key insights, and takeaways for business. This month, we tackle a threat that has climbed to the very top of the global agenda: Misinformation and Disinformation. In the short term, specifically the two-year outlook, this ranks as the #2 global risk, and looking ahead to the next decade, it remains a persistent heavyweight at #4.
Read more from the WEF Global Risk Report 2026 HERE
What is the scope of this risk?
At its core, this risk represents the systematic erosion of information integrity. We are no longer just dealing with "fake news"; we are witnessing a fundamental challenge to our ability to distinguish between authentic and synthetic content, whether that content is video, audio, or written. As citizens shift away from traditional institutions like academia and mainstream media, social media has become the primary lens through which reality is interpreted. In the United States alone, the share of people citing social media as their primary news source skyrocketed from 4% in 2015 to 34% by 2025 (Global Risks Report 2026, p.36).
Fact File: The Information Battlefield
The global information landscape is defined by a significant trust gap, with 58% of people concerned about distinguishing truth from falsehood in online news, a figure that jumps to 773% in regions like the U.S. and Africa (Global Risks Report 2026, p.34). This challenge is magnified by the rapid adoption of AI, as the use of AI tools for finding information has more than doubled, rising from 11% in 2024 to 24% today (Global Risks Report 2026, p.36). Furthermore, the proliferation of deepfakes has made creating convincing synthetic media easier and cheaper, leading to a world where technology is increasingly used to discredit leaders and fictionalise events. This reliance on social media and AI tools enhances algorithmic bias, which reinforces individual views and creates divergent perspectives on real-world events, often leading to a "numbing" effect or emotional detachment from human tragedies.
Upon reflection of the global risk, we have prepared some prompts to begin reflecting on how Misinformation and Disinformation could relate to teams globally:
Internal Resilience
Are your employees equipped to act as a "human firewall" against sophisticated misinformation?
Is digital literacy treated as a core professional skill within your teams?
Does your culture prioritise verification over the speed of internal sharing?
External Trust & Transparency
Are you moving beyond digital-only engagement to create more "tangible" trust with stakeholders?
Is your impact reporting a static document, or a verifiable story of real-world results?
Strategic Foundation
Is your strategy designed to survive "narrative storms," or is it simply meeting compliance standards?
Are you narrowing the gap between your organisation's intentions and its daily actions?
