Key takeaways

  • Information disorders regarding conventional arms are common, with the most frequent type involving the misrepresentation of weapons sales between countries.
  • Digital technology acts as a force multiplier in the creation and dissemination of incidents, although the technologies involved are generally not high-end.
  • Information disorders can affect arms control and disarmament, peace and security, and multilateral and geopolitical relations, and in some cases already do.

Information disorders – disinformation, misinformation and malinformation – affecting the integrity of information on conventional arms are an underexamined but consequential challenge for arms control, conflict prevention and international security. False or misleading claims about arms and ammunition flows, acquisitions and build-ups could distort perceptions of military capabilities, undermine confidence between States, affect decisions on arms transfers, intensify existing tensions and result in an arms build-up.

The analysis of 146 incidents from 2015–2025 shows that three quarters of the incidents concerned arms flows, while fewer related to acquisitions or military build-ups. The most common incidents involved misrepresented weapons sales, false allegations of arms supplies and incorrect claims about weapons ownership. Small arms, ammunition and missile systems featured most frequently.

Digital technologies and social media also amplify the spread of false claims, often through recycled or out-of-context content. Although generative AI played a limited role in the analysed cases, its future impact should not be understated, particularly when considering non-technological factors.

Information disorders can weaken arms-control mechanisms, fuel violence and arms races, disrupt peace processes, damage diplomatic relations and erode confidence in multilateral institutions. This publication proposes actions to improve information integrity relating to conventional arms flows, acquisitions and build-ups, focusing on preventing information disorders, protecting information spaces and audiences, and mitigating their impact should these occur.