What counter-disinformation funders got wrong: Global South critiques of the field

Inspired by decolonial frameworks and South-to-South methodologies in media studies (Chakravartty & Roy, 2017; Medrado & Verdegem, 2024) and sociological critique of the aid industrial complex (Krause, 2014), this paper offers a critique of mainstream disinformation studies and its suite of tech-first interventions as (1) disconnected from Global South priorities and (2) exacerbating power inequities between donors and ‘on-the-ground’ civil society leaders. We retell the perspectives, achievements, and frustrations of over 100 Global South civil society leaders, tech policy experts, and researchers who participated in our network-building project from 2022 to 2024. With clear aims of challenging Global North-led, top-down, and extractive forms of collaboration in the counter-disinformation space, our project curated a series of workshops to support participants in designing, implementing, and fundraising for programs that empower rather than instrumentalize in-country researchers and practitioners. We argue that South-to-South methodologies gather important evidence that challenges conceptual frameworks of disinformation studies and emphasize the value of community-driven and hyperlocal interventions.