“ The world of 2025 has changed. The most acute risk according to the World Economic Forum’s survey of experts in the two-year perspective is not wars, climate disasters, or even economic crises. This is false information (“target information”) and disinformation (from English misinformation/disinformation). At first glance, it’s hard to imagine how a few false social media posts could outdo wars, floods, or market crashes. But this is exactly where what the world calls the disintegration of reality begins. Disinformation is when someone intentionally creates a lie. And false, “target formation” – when false or distorted data is distributed without malicious intent, but with the same destructive consequences. It can be a half-truth, a misinterpretation, or simply a panicked forwarding of a message from “verified sources.” The consequences are the same: chaos in consciousness, loss of trust in sources and inability to act. A society that cannot distinguish truth from manipulation stops planning, making decisions, and responding to crisis situations. As a result, we get what WEF experts call “information erosion” – the loss of a shared understanding of reality. For many, this problem sounds abstract, but in fact, it is the information crisis that today determines how people live, how companies work, and how the state makes decisions. Let’s try to translate it into ordinary language. Imagine that a message is spreading in Ukraine that “there will be a shortage of electricity in the winter, so generators must be urgently bought.” People start buying up equipment en masse, prices rise, demand explodes, and businesses lose resources. At the same time, no one is asking whether this is true or just an emotional chain started by several Facebook pages. The same thing happens at the macro level. When false information about “EU environmental taxes” or “Ukrainian grain ban” is spread without context, it affects markets, exchange rates, and investment decisions. As a result, mistrust is growing – in the government, in business, in experts. This is the main reason why the WEF puts this risk above all others: without trust, no policy, even the smartest, can be implemented. Ukraine is at the very epicenter of this phenomenon. We live in a world where information is not just a resource, but a weapon. Every day we see how fakes about “betrayal”, “weariness of the West” or “loss of territories” shape public opinion faster than official statements. When society is constantly living in a state of anxiety, any decision of the government is perceived through the lens of distrust. And here it doesn’t matter what was true at first – what matters is who said it first. “Target formation” is dangerous because it does not need an enemy. It works through our fears, fatigue, habit of doubting every word. When people lose the ability to analyze information, any fake begins to work, and the shared reality collapses. Trust becomes the most valuable asset – more valuable than any technology or resources. This is not an abstract threat to the economy either. Mistrust of data or sources directly affects the investment climate. No business plans for the long term where the information environment is toxic, where manipulation is seen in every report, and conspiracy in every reform. Trust is also capital, and today it collapses faster than stocks during a crisis. Misinformation isn’t just about the media. It is about how we perceive the world, make decisions and react to risks. It is about education, about the culture of news consumption, about the readiness to check instead of spreading. But first of all – about responsibility. Because when we spread “suspicion” instead of fact, we become part of the same information war, in which there will be no winners. A world that cannot agree on what is true cannot build politics, economies, or even trust between people. And this is the biggest risk for humanity in 2025. For the state, “target formation” is an even more difficult challenge. It destroys trust in institutions, unity and national narrative. When society cannot determine what is truth and what is manipulation, effective policies, the fight against corruption, and planning for adaptation to climate and economic changes are leveled. Restoring trust is not a political PR, but a strategic necessity. A state that does not communicate honestly and quickly creates a vacuum that is filled by fakes. Resistance to such misinformation is a new form of defensive capability. It manifests itself in schools, where children are taught to check information; in the media, which explain the facts, and not compete for clicks; in a business that openly demonstrates its processes; in a state that tells the truth even when it is inconvenient. It is manifested in the critical thinking of citizens and in the culture of fact-checking, which is becoming as necessary as elementary literacy. Ukraine has a unique experience. We literally win back the truth every day. And that is why we can be an example for the world of how to build democracy, economy and society in the age of fakes. Trust, transparency, critical thinking and willingness to verify information are the tools that allow you to survive and develop. Anti-fake is not about banning words or blocking thoughts. It is about creating a society where truthfulness is a value, and openness and transparency are the norm. Where there is trust, power is born that cannot be faked. And it is on this basis that Ukraine will be able to withstand all other risks – from climatic disasters to economic crises. “Target information” is not just an information problem. This is a challenge to national capacity. If we learn to check facts, explain data, build transparent processes and communicate openly, we will show the world that surviving in the age of fakes is possible, and building a stable society is a must. Reference: The Global Risks Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum was published on January 15, 2025. It identified “targeting” and disinformation as the top short-term risk for the next two years, ahead of even conflicts and climate disasters. This is the second year in a row that these factors have topped the rankings, highlighting their growing threat to stability and trust in societies around the world. Lyudmila Tsyganok, founder of ESG Liga, president of the Association of Environmental Professionals PAEW, general director of the “Office of Sustainable Solutions””, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
At first glance, it’s hard to imagine how a few false social media posts could outdo wars, floods, or market crashes. But this is exactly where what the world calls the disintegration of reality begins.
Disinformation is when someone intentionally creates a lie. And false, “target formation” – when false or distorted data is distributed without malicious intent, but with the same destructive consequences.
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It can be a half-truth, a misinterpretation, or simply a panicked forwarding of a message from “verified sources.” The consequences are the same: chaos in consciousness, loss of trust in sources and inability to act. A society that cannot distinguish truth from manipulation ceases to exist to think, make decisions and react to crisis situations.
As a result, we get what WEF experts call “information erosion” – the loss of a shared understanding of reality. For many, this problem sounds abstract, but in fact, it is the information crisis that today determines how people live, how companies work, and how the state makes decisions.
Let’s try to translate it into ordinary language. Imagine that a message is spreading in Ukraine that “there will be a shortage of electricity in the winter, so generators must be urgently bought.” People start buying up equipment en masse, prices rise, demand explodes, and businesses lose resources. At the same time, no one is asking whether this is true or just an emotional chain started by several Facebook pages.
The same thing happens at the macro level. When false information about “EU environmental taxes” or “Ukrainian grain ban” is spread without context, it affects markets, exchange rates, and investment decisions. As a result, mistrust is growing – in the government, in business, in experts. This is the main reason why the WEF puts this risk above all others: without trust, no policy, even the smartest, can be implemented.
Ukraine is at the very epicenter of this phenomenon. We live in a world where information is not just a resource, but a weapon. Every day we see how fakes about “betrayal”, “weariness of the West” or “loss of territories” shape public opinion faster than official statements. When society is constantly living in a state of anxiety, any decision of the government is perceived through the lens of distrust. And here it doesn’t matter what was true at first – what matters is who said it first.
“Target formation” is dangerous because it does not need an enemy. It works through our fears, fatigue, habit of doubting every word. When people lose the ability to analyze information, any fake begins to work, and the shared reality collapses. Trust becomes the most valuable asset – more valuable than any technology or resources.
This is not an abstract threat to the economy either. Mistrust of data or sources directly affects the investment climate. No business plans for the long term where the information environment is toxic, where manipulation is seen in every report, and conspiracy in every reform. Trust is also capital, and today it collapses faster than stocks during a crisis.
Misinformation isn’t just about the media. It is about how we perceive the world, make decisions and react to risks. It is about education, about the culture of news consumption, about the readiness to check instead of spreading. But first of all – about responsibility. Because when we spread “suspicion” instead of fact, we become part of the same information war, in which there will be no winners.
A world that cannot agree on what is true cannot build politics, economies, or even trust between people. And this is the biggest risk for humanity in 2025.
“target information” for the state is an even more difficult challenge. It destroys trust in institutions, unity and national narrative. When society cannot determine what is truth and what is manipulation, effective policies, the fight against corruption, and planning for adaptation to climate and economic changes are leveled. Restoring trust is not a political PR, but a strategic necessity. A state that does not communicate honestly and quickly creates a vacuum that is filled by fakes.
Resistance to such misinformation is a new form of defensive capability. It manifests itself in schools, where children are taught to check information; in the media, which explain the facts, and not compete for clicks; in a business that openly demonstrates its processes; in a state that tells the truth even when it is inconvenient.
It is manifested in the critical thinking of citizens and in the culture of fact-checking, which is becoming as necessary as elementary literacy.
Ukraine has a unique experience. We literally win back the truth every day. And that is why we can be an example for the world of how to build democracy, economy and society in the age of fakes. Trust, transparency, critical thinking and willingness to verify information are the tools that allow you to survive and develop.
Anti-fake is not about banning words or blocking thoughts. It is about creating a society where truthfulness is a value, and openness and transparency are the norm. Where there is trust, power is born that cannot be faked. And it is on this basis that Ukraine will be able to withstand all other risks – from climatic disasters to economic crises.
“Target information” is not just an information problem. This is a challenge to national capacity. If we learn to check facts, explain data, build transparent processes and communicate openly, we will show the world that surviving in the age of fakes is possible, and building a stable society is a must.
Reference: The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 was published on January 15, 2025. It identified “targeting” and disinformation as the top short-term risk for the next two years, ahead of even conflicts and climate disasters. This is the second year in a row that these factors have topped the rankings, highlighting their growing threat to stability and trust in societies around the world.
Lyudmila Tsyganok, founder of ESG Liga, president of the Association of Environmental Professionals PAEW, general director of the “Office of Sustainable Solutions”
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