InfoShield: a free online course on spotting disinformation and manipulation

InfoShield is a free online course for anyone who wants to be more resilient to disinformation and information attacks. In 15 short videos (about 22 minutes of video in total), real case studies and quick quizzes, you will learn to spot fake websites, fake authors and accounts, AI-generated images and manipulation in videos. When you finish, you get a certificate of completion.

Start the course for free

Why it matters to everyone

Disinformation and information attacks don't only target politicians and journalists. They target everyone who reads the news and scrolls social media. The more people know how to check information, the harder it is to manipulate a society. InfoShield teaches simple checks you can do in a few minutes on your phone or computer.

What you will learn

• What disinformation is: how it works, how it spreads and how you can protect yourself.

• Fake websites: why you check the web address first (case study: cloned websites).

• Fake authors: how to check whether the author of an article really exists (case study: very productive, but very fake authors, with GAN-generated faces).

• Social media accounts: what to look at when you assess an account (case study: fake accounts of an Air Force general).

• Images and AI: reverse image search, and how to recognise images made by AI tools such as Midjourney.

• Videos and algorithms: how to assess videos, why social media shows you what it shows, and how to handle emotional claims.

How the course works

• 15 short videos, case studies and 5 quizzes.

• Learn at your own pace; stop and come back any time.

• Get a certificate of completion when you finish.

• All you need is a free account on the Debunk.org academy.

Who it is for

Everyone. No special knowledge is needed. It is especially useful for:

• Students, who spend time on social media every day.

• Teachers, looking for a ready-made media literacy lesson on disinformation.

• Parents and older people, who want to feel safer online and help their families.

• Employees, communities and organisations that care about media literacy and a resilient society.

For teachers

InfoShield works as a media literacy lesson: students take the course on their own, then you discuss the case studies together in class.

FAQ

Is the course free? Yes.

How long is it? It has 15 short videos (about 22 minutes of video) plus case studies and quizzes. You can go at your own pace and come back any time.

Do I get a certificate? Yes, a certificate of completion when you finish the course.

Do I need any special knowledge? No, the course is for everyone.

Do I need to register? Yes, you create a free account on the Debunk.org academy.

Can I use it with a class or colleagues? Yes. Each participant registers and takes the course in their own account.

Is it available in other languages? Yes: Lithuanian (InfoSkydas) and Serbian (Info-štit).

About Debunk.org

Debunk.org is an independent disinformation analysis centre that researches disinformation and information attacks.