World Economic Forum Lists ‘Misinformation' As A Top Risk Threatening The World

Posted By TheNewsCommenter: From Dailycaller.com: “World Economic Forum Lists ‘Misinformation’ As A Top Risk Threatening The World”. Below is an excerpt from the article.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) names “misinformation” as one of the most severe threats facing the world in 2023, according to an annual report.

“Misinformation” is ranked 16th, or moderately severe, on a list of the 32 risks having the most impact over a two year period, the 2023 WEF Global Risks Report, which displays the results of a survey of over 1,200 experts across multiple fields, shows. The ranking aligns with the WEF’s accelerated efforts in recent years to address a perceived damage “misinformation” spreading online does to the health of societies.

“‘Misinformation and disinformation’ are, together, a potential accelerant to the erosion of social cohesion as well as a consequence” and can worsen growing polarization and disunity among societies, the report states. (RELATED: ‘Shady Deals’: UN Enlisted Google To Push Down Opposing Viewpoints On Climate Science)

Political polarization, exacerbated by online information, in turn becomes the defining feature of elections and can contribute to the degradation of democracy in a country, the report said.

Misinformation and disinformation have “become a prominent tool for geopolitical agents to propagate extremist beliefs and sway elections through social media echo chambers” by fostering doubt about political processes, the report stated. Online lies and misleading content can also “destabilize trust in information.”

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Global Risks 2023: The turbulent twenties, when risks collide https://t.co/6u7PFxLKP6 #wef23 #risks23 @zahidi pic.twitter.com/xLNiQ6f1n9

— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 15, 2025