1. Information overload has permanently changed the news environment for the public, challenging democracies as a result. 2. The human need to find patterns of meaning in events, combined with increasing information availability, exposes Australians to the risk of accepting false or damaging stories. 3. Nation-states can weaponise these narratives to further increase their spread, destructiveness, and focus toward an intended population, especially online. 4. As seen in the US and UK, the use of these narratives can disrupt and degrade the normal functioning of democracy.