that the political authorities in their countries are using legislation related to combating false news in order to protect themselves from criticism and from the circulation of information that may be detrimental to them. Seven out of the eight lawyers agreed that the criminalization of “false news” and the imprisonment and prosecution of people who publish it is not a solution that will limit information disorder in society. Finally, all of the lawyers agreed with the standpoint of local, regional, and international human rights organizations, namely that false news must be considered a civil and not a criminal issue. In assessing the legal status of the fight against false and misleading information in their countries, the eight lawyers view the legislation as contributing more to the stifling of freedom of expression than to the curbing of false news. They also believe that the legislation directly targets freedom of opinion and expression. When asked about alternative civil solutions to combat false and misleading information, the lawyers suggested cancelling all criminal penalties related to the freedom of publication and adopting clear laws that set up civil retribution mechanisms in publication-related crimes, with the ensuing financial punishment. They also stressed the importance of raising awareness among citizens; supporting a digital culture of training users of social networking sites to deal with information critically; and allowing more freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and information exchange. Tony Michael, a Lebanese lawyer specializing in media law, expressed concern regarding the escalating danger of mis- and disinformation in the Arab world. He emphasized that “the authorities control every part of the media, while the media are either affiliated with the authorities or are supportive of them.” He pointed out that “Arab regimes can fabricate information against the opposition or against those demanding a change in government.” He said, “Often, these regimes are not harmed by false news but benefit from it by using it to suppress opposing opinions.” Michael stressed that the spread of false and misleading information is increased by a lack of laws that guarantee the right to access information, a lack of transparency, and the failure of official administrations in Arab countries to provide information and data (interview, July 2021). I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH In discussing solutions, Michael highlighted that “laws in the Arab world must be revised to align with international charters of freedom of opinion and expression.” He added that the most effective solution to the spread of mis- and disinformation is “to educate citizens; to have the media bear the responsibility for combating false and misleading news; and to develop a participatory approach towards this process, involving the state, civil society, the media, and academics.” Moreover, he argued, “Misinformation and disinformation cannot be countered by laws, and any attempt to pass laws to combat it in the Arab world is futile. We have enough texts to intercept and block information.” In the next section of this study, we answer the following questions: Where is the Arab world today in terms of the use of AI and technology to contribute to the fight against mis- and disinformation? What are the challenges that hinder progress in this field? 8. THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The term “artificial intelligence” has recently become a buzz word in the Arab world, especially in journalism. There has been much talk about the need to take advantage of AI techniques in newsrooms, especially in news gathering, news production, and news distribution, in addition to the importance of automating fact checking to assist human fact checkers. Machine-learning algorithms are used by Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other big tech companies to deal with trolls, detect and remove bot accounts, and proactively identify sensitive information. Many fact-checking organizations around the world are working to empower fact checkers with the best tools. For example, Chequeabot is an Argentinian tool, developed by Chequeado, that automatically identifies claims in the media and matches them with existing fact checks.31 The bot helps perform everyday tasks for fact checkers, many of whom are already using it in the newsroom. Full Fact, developed in 2019, is an AI tool that can detect and classify different types of claims and can be used, for example, to help fact check party manifestos.32 In some Arab countries, specifically Gulf countries, interest in AI has increased recently: • In 2017 the UAE became the first country to appoint a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Middle East and North Africa – 55