What is fake information in the company and how to manage it

21 of May, 2025

Fake information in the company creates and disseminates knowledge or facts that are not true, or manipulated. The intention behind this maneuver is none other than to deceive as many people as possible.

The best-known motives for generating and launching a fake news story can be political, personal, or economic. In the business world, false information can seriously affect your direct income and destabilize your reputation.

How to manage this situation? It is not easy. But we will try to be clear and direct with the best practices to deal with fake information within a company.

And do not think that if your company is small, it is free from this danger. So focus on your internal communication.

What is fake information in the company

It is an English term that is translated into Spanish as “false news” or “unconfirmed rumors”. And whose objective is to destabilize and discredit.

The European Commission defines fake news as:

“An ecosystem of production, propagation, and consumption of false, inaccurate, or misleading information that seeks profit and cause public harm.”

The content of this false news is very varied. Its complexity to detect it poses a great challenge to the media through which they are spread and for any business area. Hence the danger of leaving any fake company information unchecked.

Expansion of false information

Technology has been key to the rapid expansion and proliferation of fake news worldwide.

Hoaxes have always existed through press, radio, or television. But today channels such as social media and WhatsApp become conduits for false news and information.

In any of them, it is very easy to publish or disseminate any opinion, whether true or false. And give it an appearance of truth that it does not actually have.

Characteristics of fake information in the company

These false news and fake company information are characterized because they follow certain patterns:

They spread quickly. Always using instant messaging platforms or other media with little credibility. Also on social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
They are generally spread like information from known people in whom trust is placed for different affinities.
They are very striking and sensationalist. And most of them are taken out of context, although some truth may underlie them.
They are created with the intention of causing alarm and destabilization.
Their author can be any competitor, identifiable or anonymous. It can even come from so-called “laboratories or factories of fake news”.
They may have an economic goal: getting visits to your page and selling advertising.

Surely you have encountered more than one piece of fake company information that meets these parameters. Reflect on how it has affected you. This is what we are going to focus on next.

How fake information affects the company

When a company launches a false news about the competition, this practice could be understood as unfair practice on its part. This is stated in article 273 of the Law against Unfair Competition (LCD).

In reality, it is complex to prove that this false information only has the objective of enticing consumers to acquire their products or services.

Occasionally, under worse conditions of quality and price than those that exist in the market by creating an unfounded false alarm about it.

When fake company information is directed at your business, you will have to act to protect your rights. Either criminally or civilly. At the same time, it is necessary to establish internal and external communication strategies to restore the honor of your company.

Punishments for fake news

The civil route (article 9 of the LCD) contemplates punishments for the defamatory company on erroneous manifestations of activity, of benefits or of commercial relations.

Especially those that belittle the credit of the slandered competition in the market.

Jurisprudence can also consider the context, freedom of expression, or mere value judgments or opinions. But it does demand that fake information about the company have a competitive purpose.

That is, the action intends to influence the functioning of the market. And that this act has to be capable of harming the claimant’s position in the market.

How to manage fake information in the company

To manage distorted, falsified, and unverified information within your company, you need to take urgent measures. And you must contemplate them within your communication plan.

While these measures do not stop the false information, they will mitigate its harmful effects on the economy and reputation of your company.

Strategies for managing fake company information would be directed at six milestones.

1. Extract content

Extract all false content from the various open sources through which the fake company news circulates.

2. Evaluate the content

Evaluate the content to be able to make the most appropriate decisions. Your organization must adopt various strategies and mechanisms.

Thus the responses will be effective in managing the economic crisis and the reputation that the fake information can cause in the company.

3. Sentiment in networks

Conduct an exhaustive examination of the sentiment about your company on networks.

And identify any possible direct or indirect mention of your company, which could also affect clients and suppliers.

4. Identify the issuer

Start a de-anonymization procedure to identify the issuer of this disinformation.

The false information may have an external issuer to the company, or it may come from a hoax created by some employee, who seeks to pressure or harm the company.

5. Crisis committee

Activate by the crisis committee the reactions to counteract and respond to the false news.

The most common action is to originate and release notifications or public statements that deny the false information.

6. Restore reputation

Restore the tainted reputation through a corporate PR policy with credible media and journalists. And thus take a larger presence in the media.

This measure can be the best opportunity, not only to deny the false information. But to communicate more, claim, and strengthen the company’s brand.

Communication management

Any measure must have a legal backup. And as a preventive measure, continuously monitor to detect as early as possible any type of fake information in the company.

Like any reputation crisis, the emergence of fake news can pose a great opportunity to strengthen the organization at a public and internal level.

In this sense, our new internal communication tool will help you combat and neutralize these false information faster.

If you want to know more about our HR software, continue in our resources section. Guaranteed results!

HR professional with experience in building strong 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 among HR leaders. As the founder of the 𝐇𝐑 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 and 𝐇𝐑 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, I leverage my 15+ years of experience to enhance the professional landscape for HR leaders.

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tiagosantos

HR Content Specialist