Lies as Policy: How Mis- and Disinformation Fuel Extremist Agendas and Hurt Us All
Misinformation doesn’t just spread by accident. It isn’t just people “getting it wrong” or “being confused.” For decades, bad actors have used disinformation—deliberate lies designed to mislead—as a weapon: seeding doubt, fueling stigma, and weakening our collective ability to push back against injustice. Once those lies are in circulation, misinformation takes over, as people unknowingly repeat falsehoods and spread them further. And today, we’re watching that cycle turn into policy.
Take one of the most persistent falsehoods out there: abortion causes breast cancer. This lie has been repeatedly debunked by credible medical bodies, yet the myth keeps circulating. Why? Because it was never about medicine or truth. It was about power. If you can scare people into doubting science, doubting doctors, and doubting themselves, you can control them.
These tactics didn’t start yesterday. Extremist groups have spent decades spreading disinformation about abortion, contraception, vaccines, LGBTQ+ people, and racial equity. Those deliberate campaigns create the conditions where misinformation thrives. The goal has always been the same: divide communities, sow fear, and justify stripping away rights and resources.
Project 2025, a 900-page political blueprint, is simply the latest and most sweeping attempt to turn these lies into law. It calls for banning abortion nationwide, restricting contraception, rolling back LGBTQ+ rights, and dismantling public health and education systems. But none of this is new. Project 2025 builds on decades of disinformation campaigns that paved the way by weakening trust, polarizing communities, and silencing dissent.
Mis- and Disinformation Are a Strategy, Not an Accident
We need to stop pretending falsehoods “just happen.” Disinformation campaigns carefully craft and spread deliberate lies, and once those lies take hold, they circulate as misinformation when people repeat them without realizing they’re false. That’s how propaganda becomes “common knowledge.” We’ve seen this playbook again and again:
Abortion:
- Disinformation — Anti-abortion groups falsely claim abortion causes breast cancer or infertility.
- Misinformation — Someone repeats those claims to a friend or patient, making them afraid to seek care.
Contraception:
- Disinformation — Extremists insist birth control pills are “abortifacients.”
- Misinformation — Patients hear this and avoid contraception, leaving them without reliable options.
Trans healthcare:
- Disinformation — Politicians claim doctors are “mutilating children.”
- Misinformation — Families repeat this language until evidence-based, lifesaving care is seen as dangerous.
Public education:
- Disinformation — Coordinated campaigns label accurate lessons on race and gender as “indoctrination.”
- Misinformation — Parents echo these talking points at school board meetings, fueling book bans and curriculum rollbacks.
The pattern is always the same: deliberate lies are seeded at the top, then everyday people repeat them in good faith — until fear and confusion become fact. That’s the ecosystem extremist agendas depend on to pass laws that harm us all..
The Human Cost of Lies
Falsehoods aren’t just abstract. They cause real harm to real people.
- A patient delays going to the doctor because she’s heard misinformation that birth control causes infertility.
- A parent refuses vaccines because disinformation campaigns convinced them they’re unsafe.
- A young person avoids abortion care because they’ve absorbed misinformation that it’s always traumatic.
- A trans teen is cut off from lifesaving care because lawmakers use disinformation to justify bans.
These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re happening every day. And the harm doesn’t fall equally. Black, Brown, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and low-wealth communities are targeted with disinformation more heavily, and they’re the ones who feel the sharpest impact when misinformation becomes a barrier to care.
When extremists talk about “restoring family values” or “protecting life,” what it really means is stripping away healthcare and freedom from those who already face the steepest obstacles.
Lies Weaken Democracy
We can’t separate misinformation and disinformation from the bigger picture of democracy. Lies aren’t just about healthcare. They’re about control. If people don’t know what’s true, if they don’t know who to trust, if they’re drowning in conflicting narratives, they’re less likely to fight back when their rights are stripped away.
That’s precisely the environment in which extremist agendas like Project 2025 thrive. A divided, confused public is easier to govern through fear.
What This Means for North Carolina
In North Carolina, the damage of mis- and disinformation isn’t abstract — it’s shaping laws, clinics, and communities right now. We’ve seen false claims used to push the 12-week abortion ban, to funnel patients into deceptive anti-abortion centers, and to justify restrictions like HB192 that target providers who serve Medicaid patients. These lies don’t just stay in political talking points — they close clinic doors, confuse patients about where they can turn, and make it harder for people to access the reproductive healthcare they need. If we want reproductive freedom in North Carolina, we have to fight misinformation here at home, not just watch it play out on the national stage.
Fighting Back Means Telling the Truth, Loudly
The good news? We are not powerless. Disinformation may be deliberate, and misinformation may spread fast — but truth can be louder.
Fighting back means:
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Calling out lies immediately and unapologetically.
Telling the stories of people harmed by these policies, so the human cost can’t be ignored.
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Building digital spaces where young people can access accurate, affirming information instead of being drowned in falsehoods.
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Holding politicians accountable when they parrot lies to score political points.
It’s more than fact-checking. It’s about narrative power. We can’t just debunk. We have to tell a stronger, truer story about freedom, dignity, and justice.
How You Can Fight Back With Pro-Choice North Carolina
At Pro-Choice North Carolina, we’re tackling reproductive mis- and disinformation head-on — and we need you with us. Here’s how you can be part of the fight:
- Become an Amplifier. Share our articles, campaigns, and posts with your networks. Each share pushes truth further and cuts into the reach of lies.
- Tell Your Story. Lived experiences cut through stigma and silence. If you’ve encountered barriers to care or seen falsehoods cause harm, we can help you share your story powerfully and safely.
- Engage Locally. Join us at a film screening, campus event, or host your own gathering to learn, organize, and share accurate information with your community.
- Fuel the Fight. Your donation keeps our misinformation campaigns, grassroots trainings, and youth-led truth-telling projects moving forward. Your gift helps us counter lies with facts — and build power for the long haul.
- Stay Connected. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social so you never miss critical updates or actions.
Because when lies become law, people get hurt. Together, we can fight back — with truth, with power, and with the determination to build a North Carolina where everyone has access to the care and dignity they deserve.
