Wave of disinformation stronger than the elements? Dr. Rafal Guzowski's research on social media.
With what force does disinformation strike in times of crisis? The answer to this question was sought during his lecture Dr Rafał Guzowski cooperating with the College of Vocational Training in Wrocław, presenting the the results of piecemeal surveys on information chaos and the wave of misinformationthat emerged in these difficult moments for local communities. The speech took place during a conference "Resilience of cities to crises and threats. Security. Public policies. Education"which took place 28 March 2025.
Disinformation wave - two countries, one problem
Both Polandas well as Spain experienced in 2024 devastating flash floodswhich put not only infrastructure but also public confidence to the test. In both cases, the element was accompanied by a second wave - the confusion and misinformation.
W Spainespecially in the Valencia region, the meteorological warnings came too late. Residents, surprised by the scale of the phenomenon, were inundated with an avalanche of false information: from the allegedly damaged dams to theories about the operation of weather weapons and the HAARP programme. Manipulated footage attributed to Valencia also appeared on social media platforms, although it originated from Zaragoza.
W Poland, during the September floods, disinformation activity increased by 300%. Users received false RCB alerts, watched crafted films and read narratives about the "blowing up embankments" or looters from Ukraine. Some of this content appeared to be part of an organised campaign using accounts linked to the Russia and Belarus - aimed at undermining confidence in public institutions.
Social media - information or threats?
As he emphasises Dr Rafał Guzowski, social media in crisis situations are becoming both a source of information and a threat. Their impact lies in the immediacy and strength of emotion - the the more fear, anger or panic, the greater the reach of the false message.
The cases analysed included:
- voice messages on WhatsApp about a non-existent dam failure in Spain;
- Conspiracy theories about 'weather weapons';
- assigning recordings from other local reality sites;
- manipulated accounts of the actions of services and citizens.
These phenomena are not just temporary chaos - their effects are long-term. Disinformation weakens the community's ability to respond and adversely affects confidence in state warning systems.
Information resilience - a new pillar of security
Dr Guzowski's research shows that in the age of AI tools, fake news and manipulation, information immunity becomes as important as infrastructure. This is why it should be an element of urban planning, public policies and education.
A research paper entitled 'The importance of the researcher' will soon be published. "The role of media education and information policy in building urban resilience: shaping an informed information society in the face of crises and threats", in which Dr Guzowski will discuss in more detail the mechanisms for protecting cities from disinformation in times of crisis.