Disinformation in Taiwan’s Media Space Surrounding the 2024 Election: Observations, Developments, and Implications

Information spread through instant communication and social media platforms have the power to impact political perceptions. Throughout Taiwan's 2024 election, disinformation perpetuated through the internet, seeking to shape and shift people's opinions of candidates, political parties, and policy positions. While not a new phenomenon, digital disinformation in democratic processes is evolving to seem more believable and seep deeper into online discourse. Analyzing the disinformation observed in Taiwan's social media environment throughout the 2024 election cycle illuminates its developments and implications. Evolving media editing technologies, such as deepfakes and AI voice generation, were utilized in videos shared on social media to spread false and misleading information across the internet. Disinformation mainly spread through decentralized channels, promoting its narratives in a more believable fashion. Ultimately, false information during election cycles enflames tensions and damages the integrity of democratic institutions by pushing polarization and muddying the media space. Therefore, Taiwan's experience with and response to disinformation provides a useful framework for those looking to understand and combat its harmful effects on elections.