Mining firms too slow to counter disinformation, report warns

Mining companies may be responding too slowly to online disinformation — allowing coordinated campaigns to shape narratives before they can react.

That’s the warning from London-based AI intelligence company Refute, whose report Africa Decoded tracks surges in bot activity around key mining events, particularly in gold. The firm argues that automation — both in detecting and responding to these campaigns — is now critical to protecting reputation and investment outcomes.

But as companies move to counter these narratives in real time, a key question remains: where is the line between managing misinformation and shaping the story itself? MINING.COM spoke to Tom Garnett, CEO and co-founder of Refute.