Mis/disinformation and infodemics since COVID-19: the double-edged sword of open government

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide utilized technologies for collecting, analyzing, and reporting real-time accurate data, fostering the principles of open governance such as transparency and participation, which are vital for crisis management. However, due to the complexities brought by the uncertainty of the pandemic and the changing information consumption landscape, this inadvertently paved the way for information misuse, where the dissemination of both accurate and manipulated information proliferates rapidly. This chapter assesses the implications and prospects by reviewing related literature offering policy insights for governments and relevant stakeholders to counter mis/disinformation while upholding open governance. Emerging challenges discussed in this chapter uncover the influential actors and the types of misleading and false pandemic-related content circulating in the information ecosystem. Drawing from the experiences of the Philippines, Montenegro, and Tunisia, this chapter provides valuable insights to tackle mis/disinformation and infodemics, especially in developing economies.

Keywords: Misinformation; Disinformation; Infodemics; Influential actors; Harmful content; Open government