The Conjuncture of Intentionality, Facticity, and Identity: Exposure to Disinformation and Malinformation on Social Media and Their Association With Ethnic Polarization

The dissemination of weaponized information—defined as the intentional use of falsehoods (i.e. disinformation) and the harmful misuse of accurate information (i.e. malinformation) against a target—on social media represents a notable downside of these platforms, often linked to polarization. However, research on the relationship between weaponized information and polarization remains limited due to conceptual ambiguities and geographical context. This study uses cross-sectional survey data (N = 520) collected across eight provinces in Afghanistan to explore the direct and indirect association between exposure to disinformation and malinformation online and ethnic polarization. Findings through mediation analyses reveal that exposure to disinformation was not associated with ethnic polarization, either directly or indirectly. Conversely, exposure to malinformation was directly associated with ethnic polarization and indirectly linked to it through increased ingroup positive perception. These findings highlight the nuanced difference in how intentional falsehoods and the harmful misuse of accurate information shape polarization dynamics in ethnically diverse and polarized societies.