Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, false information about the conflict began circulating online -- like the now-debunked story about the Ukrainian fighter pilot known as the "Ghost of Kyiv" who was rumored to have brought down six Russian planes.
Distorted footage and false claims about the war quickly filled Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter, with critics saying these social media platforms have not done enough to stop disinformation campaigns.
While companies like Meta and Google have taken steps to mitigate the spread of disinformation, for instance no longer allowing Russian state media to run ads on their platforms, misleading content can still slip through these measures.
But experts tell Changing America there are some ways individual users can identify disinformation and factcheck their feeds.
What to do if you encounter potentially false information about the war in Ukraine, especially on social media
The first step to fighting misinformation and disinformation is understanding the difference between the two terms. Misinformation is information that someone shares not realizing that it is untruthful or misleading, according to First Draft, a nonprofit coalition that gives guidance on how to verify information found online.
Disinformation is false or misleading information created to cause harm, garner political influence or lead to financial gain, according to the organization.
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