Harmful information: Questions and answers

In times of conflict, harmful information can undermine the protection of vulnerable people, by amplifying dehumanization or stigma. It can endanger the safety and dignity of civilians, as well as their access to essential services. Some examples include:

• Online calls for violence against minorities can lead to harassment, intimidation, or physical attacks.
• Misleading and inaccurate information about the fate of missing persons can hinder search efforts and the provision of answers to families, causing further suffering to families and to communities.
• False alerts about incoming attacks can divert people from safety and expose them to harm.
• Misleading information about humanitarian assistance can deter people from seeking critical services such as healthcare, or erode trust in humanitarian workers, making it harder to deliver aid.
• Harmful information about humanitarian organizations can endanger staff and volunteers, restricting their ability to operate safely and therefore preventing people from benefiting from their presence or services.
• Organized, coordinated and paid campaigns by state, non-state armed groups or other actors to influence beliefs and behaviours of populations may undermine trust, fuel polarization, incite attacks, hatred, discriminations, dehumanization or stigmatization.

At the ICRC, trust is our currency. While IHL provides the legal basis for our work, it is only when parties and communities place their trust in the ICRC that we are able to effectively reach, protect, and assist those most in need. In high-tension environments, trust can be eroded very fast, and the damage to the perception of the ICRC has consequences on our ability to serve the people who need us the most. 

International Humanitarian Law does regulate the spread of information. Examples include:

• Parties to conflict encouraging violations of international humanitarian law —online or offline—is prohibited.
• Propaganda aimed at recruiting children, or protected persons in occupied territories, into the armed forces is unlawful.
• Parties inciting violence against humanitarian personnel or spreading information in an effort to unduly interfere with their work is prohibited.
• Threats of violence aimed at terrorizing civilian populations violate international humanitarian law.
• Parties to conflict must ensure that prisoners of war and civilian internees are not exposed to public curiosity, including by preventing photos or videos of them in detention being shared online.

For more information on what the rules of war say about harmful information, you can read this article: Foghorns of war: IHL and information operations during armed conflict
 

We take the issue of harmful information during armed conflict seriously and we are dedicated to finding effective ways to address the issue and its consequences. A conflict sensitive approach to addressing harmful information is one that does not limit fundamental rights, or people’s access to information, and does not cause additional harms.

Our work to address harmful information includes building and nurturing relationships with communities and community leaders, raising awareness on the impact of harmful information, clarifying the obligations of parties under IHL and the role and mandate of the ICRC, maintaining confidential dialogue with parties on this issue, and other workstreams.

We continue to seek dialogue with parties to armed conflict that spread harmful information and build awareness of the legal limits and the humanitarian consequences of these actions.

The ICRC continues to invest and to work with humanitarian organizations and academia to develop responses to harmful information impacting people, and to assist people in building self-protection and resilience.

The IFRC, National Societies, and the ICRC are the components of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, the world’s largest humanitarian network. Over the past year and in the context of the "ICT Resolution", adopted at the 34th International Conference, partners of the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent have been joining efforts on an initiative addressing Harmful Information. The initiative aims to establish a unified approach to addressing harmful information, as outlined in the ICRC framework on addressing harmful information, by enhancing the Movement’s capacity to detect, assess, and respond to harmful information. It seeks to build on the expertise of its partners, strengthen capacities, and promote research. By tackling harmful information, the initiative helps ensure that humanitarian efforts remain trusted in times of crisis.

Harmful information that targets any component of the Movement can undermine the trust and credibility of all components, can threaten the safety and security of staff and volunteers, can hinder our access to vulnerable populations and our ability to operate. The international community has long upheld the consensus that impartial humanitarian actors and their personnel must be respected and protected, and this includes risks posed by harmful information. In a world where information profoundly influences conflicts, upholding these principles remains critical.

As digital threats in warfare evolve, we urge states, media and tech companies, and other stakeholders to safeguard and support impartial, neutral, and independent humanitarian organizations. Preventing the spread of harmful information is a shared responsibility. We encourage vigilance when sharing information and to help stop the spread of harmful information. We are committed to working with partners in addressing the root causes of harmful information to foster a more informed and peaceful world.