Fighting disinformation: our attack plans

The situation is serious. 🤖 In the era of the all-powerful Social Media and the great advent of generative AI, disinformation is raging, the communicator is no longer a simple transmitter, but moves into a true guardian of the truth.   

Is it scary? 😱 Don't panic, as usual, the team We Are COM comes to your aid by revealing its tips for remaining credible in the face of growing disinformation. 👉 Deciphering the types of hoaxes and the right reflexes to adopt to make the truth triumph!  

1 – The viral rumor

Quesaco? It often starts with " It seems that... " and before you even have time to say phew, it's a crisis. Viral rumor is a digital rumor that makes its way around the web in record time. A sentence taken out of context, a piece of information misinterpreted, a Chinese whispers gone wrong... And it's a tragedy.  

The danger? The speed of propagation, But also the strain rate of this hoax. If no one acts, the rumor is repeated, repeated again, distorted, distorted again... And on to infinity! 

🔥 The anti-toxic rumor action plan? 

1. Start by carrying out constant and rigorous monitoring of developments in this corridor noise.  
2. Mapping propagation hotspots (networks, communities, etc.)  
3. Appoint an anti-poisoning contact person, so as not to go off in all directions. 
4. Create a true/false format for internal use to stop contagion.  
5. Communicate quickly through an official response channel to re-establish the truth for everyone.  
6. Practice the policy of transparency, even if the information you have is still partial.  
7. Document each rumor processed, to anticipate future crises.  

2 – Deepfake

Quesaco? The scourge of communicators in the era of generative AI. deepfake is content – ​​image, audio, video – that is faked, but so well done that it could be real. Extremely difficult to detect, When AI enters the disinformation equation, it is capable of generating a major image crisis. He's my boss, that's his face and that's his voice... Did he really say that?  

The danger? The strong resemblance to the truth. The ultra-realistic nature of deepfakes directly affects our emotions. Even if clearly disproven, widespread misinformation can damage a brand's image in the long run.  

🔥 Action plan against fake content? 

1. First and foremost, create an official digital footprint for your brand: a veritable database of validated speeches and content.  
2. Use AI detection tools in your monitoring unit.  
3. Train communicators to recognize deepfakes and equip them with response kits.  
4. Publish a serious denial as soon as possible, with supporting evidence. 
5. Mobilize internal and external opinion leaders for greater reach and commission your best spokespersons.  

3 – Identity theft

Quesaco? A fake profile that uses your brand's logo, style, and tone for malicious purposes. Recruitment fraud, political messaging, hacking attempts, etc. When a fake internet user pretends to be a spokesperson or collaborator, This is called identity theft.  

The danger? The publication of false information has a profound effect the trust of external audiencesA company's image can then be damaged for something it never said.  

🔥 Anti-imposter action plan?  

1. Activate a monitoring system for sensitive keywords and automatic alerts with social listening tools.  
2. Monitor new accounts or pages that appear.  
3. Use official verification badges on your social accounts.  
4. Notify HR and HRIS teams in the event of phishing or fraudulent recruitment.  
5. Respond publicly and clearly.  
6. Suggest a course of action for potential victims of this hoax. 
7. Integrate cybersecurity training to raise awareness internally.   

4 – Militant or coordinated disinformation

Quesaco? An organized attack! Often carried out by committed or activist groups, This type of maneuver aims to put pressure on a company to force it to act. « You are a responsible company, that's what we'll see... » 

The danger? This kind of misinformation is super well put together. Most often mixing the true and the false, it puts the company in a terribly delicate position.  

🔥 The action plan against targeted attacks?  

1. Create a blacklist of risky groups and hashtags.  
2. Analyzing the disinformers' strategy: what are they looking for?  
3. Involve legal services and the crisis unit before any official reaction.  
4. Develop a strategic FAQ to anticipate the drifts of the attack. 
5. Don't react immediately, but argue your answer meticulously. It must be quantified and factual.  
6. Promote concrete commitments to silence this hoax forever.  

5 – The internal leak

Quesaco? The peculiarity of this hoax is that it generally only concerns internal information. Information misunderstood or poorly relayed within the company, employees who spread this uncontextualized rumor, managers who reinterpret it and One bad word of mouth is enough to shake an entire organization.   

The danger? Anxiety and disengagement, employees risk questioning the official word, thus weakening managerial trust and corporate culture.   

🔥 The anti-internal chaos action plan?  

1. Establish a single source of reference information.  
2. Provide kits so that managers can anticipate this type of situation.  
3. Deploy an internal “hotline” to answer questions from worried employees in real time.  
4. Analyze the most frequent feedback to adapt your future communications.  
5. Offer educational formats to prevent this kind of misinformation from getting out of hand again.