The Impact of Disinformation on Human Rights

Disinformation is a strategic technique of power designed to erode social trust and public reasoning. This study defines it as a socio-technical process involving fabricated production, coordinated diffusion, and algorithmic micro-targeting. Within the “infodemic” context, it analyzes systemic risks to fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, privacy, and non-discrimination. The analysis posits that disinformation undermines the “truth infrastructure” essential for democratic legitimacy. Moving beyond simple content moderation, the chapter evaluates AI-driven threats and proposes a normative framework—aligned with the EU Digital Services Act—to uphold positive obligations and protect the deliberative conditions of human rights.