Disinformation in Cyberspace. Introduction to Discussion on Criminalisation Possibilities

Disinformation is a phenomenon that has always accompanied humankind. The objective of disinformation is not only to mislead specified addressees – social groups, interest groups, public opinion, or whole societies – but also to yield the expected results in the form of social response. Cyberspace, where all the weaknesses of the infosphere are converged, generating significant vulnerabilities to disinformation, has a growing influence on creating social circumstances. All the more so that, in cyberspace, we are dealing not only with the transfer of information decoded from computer data but also with reflecting, complementing and creating entirely new social interactions, social relationships and individual contacts. This paper aims to introduce readers to the analysis of social and legal conditions concerning the possibility of criminalising disinformation in cyberspace effectively. It outlines the general conceptual framework and places it in the social and legal dimensions. The research problem being addressed in this paper is as follows: How can instances of disinformation in cyberspace be identified in the context of criteria of a prohibited act?