Specific Issues for Discussion:
Women, trans and gender-diverse people are becoming major targets of disinformation campaigns in Asia. The main objective of these campaigns is to delegitimise the voices and credibility of their targets and ensure that they are excluded from public debates and cultural spaces. In particular, those who are more visible are more targeted, including women in politics, journalists and women’s rights defenders and activists.
Countering identity-based disinformation such as gendered disinformation is particularly challenging, since it is sometimes difficult to define and isolate for fact-checking, as it not only relates to lies or false facts, but also to opinions and emotional content aimed at inflaming people and exploiting biases, prejudices and stereotypes. As a result, gendered disinformation campaigns are also often closely associated with hate speech and online gender-based violence, resulting in increased attacks on their targets. Further, emerging technologies such as deepfakes and other AI tools are being used to manipulate content and spread disinformation against women and other gender-diverse persons.
Such disinformation has a serious impact on public discourse and democratic participation. Prominent women in politics, media and civil society are at risk of being targeted and silenced through disinformation campaigns, as are others who may engage in discussions around important gender-based issues such as sexual violence, rights of LGBTQI+ individuals, and rights of women in religious contexts.
This session aims to deepen understanding and create awareness about identity-based disinformation, such as gendered disinformation, the forms it takes, and the impacts it has on its intended targets. It will delve into how emerging technologies are being used in disinformation campaigns and the challenges related to their unrestricted use. Finally, it will look at measures that need to be undertaken at the policy and community levels to address this issue.
