Navigating misinformation and disinformation: how definition ambiguity limits the DSA's implementation

Marion Seigneurin (), Christine Balagué () and Inna Lyubareva ()
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Marion Seigneurin: LITEM - Laboratoire en Innovation, Technologies, Economie et Management (EA 7363) - UEVE - Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne - Université Paris-Saclay - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], IMT-BS - MMS - Département Management, Marketing et Stratégie - TEM - Télécom Ecole de Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris]
Christine Balagué: CONNECT - Consommateur Connecté dans la Société Numérique - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], LITEM - Laboratoire en Innovation, Technologies, Economie et Management (EA 7363) - UEVE - Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne - Université Paris-Saclay - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], IMT-BS - MMS - Département Management, Marketing et Stratégie - TEM - Télécom Ecole de Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris]
Inna Lyubareva: LEGO - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion de l'Ouest - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO - Université de Brest - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IBSHS - Institut Brestois des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société - UBO - Université de Brest - UBL - Université Bretagne Loire - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], IMT Atlantique - DI2S - Département Interdisciplinaire de Sciences Sociales - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris]

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Abstract: Very large online platforms shape public discourse, raising concerns about the impact of misinformation and disinformation on democratic stability. The European Union responded with the Digital Services Act framework. However, its enforcement remains limited, partly due to conceptual ambiguities surrounding the concepts of misinformation and disinformation. This article investigates how definitional inconsistencies undermine the Digital Services Act's (DSA) implementation. We analyzed 79 documents—including EU legislation, platform policies, fact-checking codes, and academic publications—to examine how key actors define these terms. We identified four key definitional criteria: content quality, intent, associated risk, and creation and dissemination techniques. Our findings reveal that these criteria reflect divergent institutional interests and result in fragmented definitions. This fragmentation generates critical risks, affecting freedom of expression, research, countermeasure design, intervention effectiveness, and impact assessment. We conclude by offering recommendations to support criteria-based definitions, improve risk evaluation, and reinforce the DSA's effectiveness in countering information disorders.

Date: 2025-12
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Published in European Journal of Communication, 2025, 40 (6), pp.619-646. ⟨10.1177/02673231251391980⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05395628

DOI: 10.1177/02673231251391980

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