Unlike misinformation—where false information may be inadvertently spread by people who do not realize that it is factually incorrect—disinformation involves deliberately misleading “facts” or narratives.

The tobacco industry is notorious for manipulating scientific data to downplay evidence about the health effects of smoking. More than 70 years ago, tobacco companies first established the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, an organisation that disseminated pseudo-scientific disinformation designed to minimise the health effects of smoking. While the committee was disbanded in the late 1990s, tobacco and vape companies continue to use the same strategies today, manipulating information and attempting to influence scientific research.