In the early days of the internet, pioneers envisioned a digital space where voices could be heard equally, transcending geographical, social, and political divides–as Ó Siochrú and Gurumurthy reflect, “the dawn of the internet promised a communication space where all voices could be heard equally.” Yet today, the internet is not the unifying force it was imagined to be; instead, it has become a platform for harmful content, weaponized to sow division, erode trust in public institutions, distort political participation, and even threaten the safety of human rights defenders.
At the heart of these issues is the growing prevalence of disinformation and misinformation, terms that have dominated contemporary debates on internet policy in the past decade. While the responsibilities of platforms in curbing such content have been heavily debated in multilateral spaces, this discussion often takes place within frameworks that are dominated by Global North perspectives, neglecting the specific challenges faced in the Global South. Such oversight risks reproducing or deepening existing inequalities, including those of gender, which are rarely addressed within mainstream discourses on information integrity.
The Politics of Information Integrity
Information integrity refers to the authenticity, accuracy, and reliability of digital content, as well as the ethical and political processes involved in its production, circulation, and consumption. As concerns about disinformation and misinformation grow, so too does the focus on how platforms and digital infrastructure can be governed to ensure accountability. However, the adoption of the concept of information integrity is not without criticism; feminist scholars and activists, in particular, have raised concerns about the ways in which this concept has been framed and applied, especially in the Global South.
In regions like Brazil, where political instability, economic inequality, and entrenched forms of social injustice are widespread, simply transplanting a Northern framework risks overlooking critical local concerns.
Nina Santos, for example, critiques the uncritical importation of a framework that is largely shaped by Global North sensibilities. She argues that much of the academic and policy literature on information integrity, disinformation, and misinformation often ignores the unique political, social, and cultural challenges of the Global South. In regions like Brazil, where political instability, economic inequality, and entrenched forms of social injustice are widespread, simply transplanting a Northern framework risks overlooking critical local concerns.
For instance, the notion of ‘information integrity’ often focuses on the technical aspects of platform governance–tackling fake news, misinformation, and other forms of digital malfeasance–but this perspective tends to ignore how information flows are shaped by broader power dynamics, including those of class, race, and gender.
This gap in the literature is particularly glaring when it comes to gendered dimensions of digital information flow.
The Gendered Dimensions of Information Flows
Gender inequality has always been a central issue in the digital landscape. While digital platforms offer women and marginalized groups new opportunities for self-expression, networking, and activism, they also expose them to unprecedented levels of harassment, surveillance, and violence. The gendered nature of online harassment, especially in the form of disinformation campaigns aimed at silencing women and LGBTQ+ individuals, is an urgent issue that often goes unacknowledged in broader conversations about digital misinformation.
In a recent study within the Media and Democracy Project, which I coordinate at FGV Law School Rio de Janeiro, we present how such gendered disinformation campaigns are part of larger political or ideological efforts to undermine women’s voices and disrupt democratic processes.
As highlighted by UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Irene Khan, digital platforms have become increasingly hostile to women, especially those that occupy public positions. As I present in my research, women in politics, journalists, and activists–particularly those in the Global South–are disproportionately targeted by online abuse, which often takes the form of disinformation campaigns designed to discredit their work and intimidate them. In a recent study within the Media and Democracy Project, which I coordinate at FGV Law School Rio de Janeiro, we present how such gendered disinformation campaigns are part of larger political or ideological efforts to undermine women’s voices and disrupt democratic processes. They are often targeted with narratives that often focus on their appearance, morality, or supposed inability to hold leadership roles. Such campaigns also disproportionately target women of color, queer women, and feminist activists, who often attempt to question the ‘status quo’, exacerbating existing power imbalances and reinforcing gendered stereotypes.
In this sense, rather than being a space of democratic inclusion, mainstream social media platforms have been spaces of exclusion and violence for these women. Moreover, the amplification of gendered harms on digital platforms is not coincidental. As some scholars have pointed out, algorithms often prioritize content that is sensationalistic, emotionally charged, or inflammatory—traits that are often present in disinformation and harassment campaigns.
Social media platforms and the attention economy are, thus, designed to exacerbate the visibility and impact of harmful content.
Feminist Approaches to Information Integrity
To address these concerns, we need to start reimagining information integrity, thinking of one that is not only concerned with information accuracy but also with justice, equity, and inclusion. Feminist media scholars, such as Judy Wacjman, have long critiqued the ways in which media systems are structured to perpetuate patriarchal and exclusionary power dynamics. In this vein, feminist approaches to information integrity can enable us to consider how information flows are shaped by structures of power, and how these dynamics can be transformed to create more inclusive, participative, and equitable spaces.
A feminist approach to information integrity would not only focus on the accuracy of information but also on the broader implications of how information is produced, distributed, and consumed, particularly by marginalized groups. In practical terms, information integrity should encompass developing new forms of digital literacy that address the specific ways in which gendered disinformation campaigns operate. It could also mean pushing for platform policies that recognize the unique risks faced by women and LGBTQ+ individuals in the digital space, including stronger measures to prevent online harassment and violence. Furthermore, feminist approaches would call for policies to support local and regional initiatives, bringing more diversity to content production and/or moderation. It would also push for more inclusive and participatory governance of digital platforms—ensuring that decision-making processes are representative of the diverse populations affected by disinformation and misinformation.
A feminist perspective on information integrity, therefore, can be useful by taking into account the specific ways in which gendered, racialized, and class-based inequalities intersect with digital media and advocate for policies that challenge these inequities at their root.
A feminist perspective on information integrity, therefore, can be useful by taking into account the specific ways in which gendered, racialized, and class-based inequalities intersect with digital media and advocate for policies that challenge these inequities at their root. By drawing on feminist scholarship and rethinking the dynamics of information flows, we can develop more effective policies and interventions that address the specific needs and challenges of women and marginalized groups, particularly in the Global South.
