Parallel to its military operations, Russia launched an information war on the Internet. More and more false information is appearing in the Polish information zone, intended to weaken Polish society’s support for Ukrainians. The Scientific and Academic Computer Network – National Research Institute (NASK) will support Internet users in verifying information.
The Institute has launched Facebook and Twitter profiles, where experienced experts will verify fakes circulating on the Internet and indicate potential manifestations of disinformation activities.
Janusz Cieszyński, the government plenipotentiary for cybersecurity said that the psychological and propaganda influence on the Internet is an important part of the so-called hybrid activities aimed at upsetting the morale of public opinion and deepening social divisions. In order to counteract this, it is necessary to monitor the false information circulating on the Internet and provide society with reliable knowledge and tools to deal with the deluge of disinformation.
Examples of attempts to influence public mood in Poland are collected and analyzed by the NASK Department for Counteracting Disinformation. These include fakes that refugees coming from Ukraine may take up places in hospitals needed by Polish patients. The financial costs of support for people to whom Poland will provide shelter are also emphasized. There are also attempts to cause panic, e.g. by sending messages that the eastern regions of Poland will soon run out of fuel at gas stations due to the blockade of oil imports from Russia.
The Institute encourages viewers to follow the profiles of # EnableVerification on Facebook and on Twitter and asks users not to let themselves be led by emotions when searching for information on the Internet and to share only proven news from reliable sources. Examples of false or manipulated information can be sent to the following address: info@nask.pl.
Robert Król, director of the Center of New Technologies for Public Policies at NASK explains that as Internet users, people do not always know how to distinguish between real and manipulated information. It is all the more difficult because many of these messages are partially truthful, but presented in a distorted context. Videos and photos are also used for disinformation, which is very difficult to verify and can make a strong impression. Sometimes users are attacked by trolls (often bots) who do not provide information at all, and their statements take the form of aggressive, conflict-provoking opinions.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński