For major companies, managing the fallout from internal mis-steps — from botched responses to political crises to executive misconduct — has always been tricky. But safeguarding reputations is only getting tougher. It was difficult enough when corporate crises were more tethered to true events or decisions. Now, falsehoods and disinformation can derail companies as online fakery can morph and multiply quicker than ever before.
Threats can take many forms — fabricated news, phoney social media accounts and fake text, audio or video content. Online superspreaders, often aided by AI, intensify these attacks, allowing disinformation to ricochet unpredictably. After all, lies spread faster than the truth. Boycotts can hit finances, but the damage to reputations is just as significant. Employee safety is also an issue.