​Strategies & Tactics

Generative AI. Fake media outlets. Bots. These factors have changed the media landscape drastically, affecting the legitimacy of information we see online and spreading more polarizing political narratives all while making it harder to distinguish between what is real and what is fabricated information. Fake media outlets that pose as real news sources are often created for financial or ideological motives. What can be done to navigate through this sea of disinformation? And what regulatory measures are being taken by governing bodies?

When accepting cookies on a website, you may not think about what you are agreeing to. However, the clicks you make and the things you pause to look at are valuable information to certain actors. These choices, along with other personal data, help create a profile of you. And who benefits from this data? Advertisers aiming to tailor the right ad to you, yes – but also political actors and other private interests. This can have significant consequences for society, fostering a polarized reality where different groups receive only tailored narratives. How can we find consensus on climate issues in such a fragmented space?

Internet memes may seem like a playful, innocent media format, often associated with younger generations producing these media formats for purely entertainment purposes. And while they often are, this is not always the case, as their role can extend far beyond entertainment. Over the last two decades, memes have emerged as powerful tools within propaganda, influence campaigns, as well as within the climate change discourse. From raising awareness of climate science to obstructing energy policy debates and promoting climate change denial, the possibilities are vast.

The Spiral of Silence theory, introduced by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann (1974), explains how people tend to avoid expressing or suppress opinions that contradict a dominant public viewpoint due to fear of rejection and isolation, as seen in the marginalized voices of Jews during the World War II. In the digital world, the use of bots, AI-generated content, and other tools can artificially shape discussions, contributing to the Spiral of Silence effect, where real users of digital platforms may be inclined to self-censor their seemingly minority viewpoints.

​Generative AI tools, bots, trolls, and citizens who fall prey to disinformation efforts all flood our digital spaces with disinformation, conspiracy theories, and narratives that aim to influence you and your decision-making process, confuse you, sow doubt in you, and cloud your thinking so you cannot make informed decisions. These dynamics, enables politicians and others to claim misinformation as a means to evade accountability framing authentic content as false, a phenomenon that is referred to as "misinformation about misinformation."

We like to think our opinions are our own - based on facts, experience, and good judgment. But in reality, we are more influenced by the crowd than we would like to admit. That is the Bandwagon Effect in action: when we see others supporting an idea, we are more likely to adopt it ourselves. It’s human nature. The problem is, online, what looks like a crowd isn’t always real.

Are you buying from a sustainable company or have you fallen victim to a Greenwashing campaign? In this article, we explain Greenwashing, how it is different to sustainability and who profits from it. In addition, we provide tips on how you can spot Greenwashing - and therewith avoid falling into the trap of false advertising and deceiving statements.

Ever wondered how climate trolls are slowing down the fight against climate change? This article explores how they spread disinformation and conspiracy theories that delay urgent climate action. It also touches upon climate delay tactics and the regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies,