Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD), or Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt, and Despair (FUDD), is a manipulative tactic used in sales, media, marketing, public relations, opinion polling, and cults. FUD is generally a strategy to influence by disseminating negative, dubious, and false information. FUD is "implicit coercion" by "any kind of disinformation used as a competitive weapon." It is a tactic based on fear appeal, and shares commonalities with 'fearmongering'.
Origin
The phrase "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" was used in the 1920s. A similar phrase "fear, uncertainty, and disinformation" is also used.
By 1975, "FUD" was appearing in contexts of marketing, sales, and in public relations:
One of the messages dealt with is FUD—the fear, uncertainty and doubt on the part of customer and sales person alike that stifles the approach.
FUD was first used in the sense of its current commonly-associated technology-related meaning by Gene Amdahl in 1975, after he left IBM to found Amdahl Corporation
FUD is the fear, uncertainty and doubt that IBM sales people instill in the minds of potential customers who might be considering Amdahl products.
Examples
Software producers
Microsoft
In the 1990s, the term FUD became most often associated with Microsoft. It has been said that Microsoft borrowed the concept from IBM and used it as a primary marketing tool in the 1980s.
In 1996, Caldera, Inc. accused Microsoft of several anti-competitive practices, including issuing vaporware announcements, creating FUD, and excluding competitors from participating in beta-test programs, in order to tamp-down or drive-out competition in the DOS market. In 2000, Microsoft settled the lawsuit out-of-court for an undisclosed sum; in 2009, that sum was revealed to be $280 million (roughly $542.9 million in 2026).
The FUD tactic was used by Caltex Australia in 2003.[citation needed] According to an internal memo, which was subsequently leaked, Caltex Australia wished to use FUD to destabilize franchisee confidence, and thus get a better deal for Caltex. This memo was used as an example of unconscionable behaviour in a Australian Senate inquiry. Senior management claimed that it was contrary to, and did not reflect, company principles.
References
↑Yarbrough, Caesar Augustus (1920-05-22). "Chapter: Letters from Association Answering Objections - Laymen's Repies to Criticism with the Author's Comments - Association Not Formed for Evangelical Purposes". The Roman Catholic Church Challenged in the Discussion of Thirty-two Questions with the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia. Macon, Georgia, USA: The Patriotic Societies of Macon. p.75. LCCN20009417. OCLC1084527008. Cl. A570137. ark:/13960/t26982v0c. […] Suspicion has no place in our interchanges; it is a shield for ignorance, a sign of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. […]Archived 2024-09-06 at the Wayback Machine (NB. In there, Yarbrough is citing a 1917-09-21 letter by J. J. Farrell, Augusta, Georgia, USA, which contains the quotation.)
12"The search for self". Clothes. 10 (14–24). New York, NY, USA: PRADS, Inc.: 19 1975-10-01. Archived from the original on 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2011-06-10. […] One of the messages dealt with is FUD—the fear, uncertainty and doubt on the part of customer and sales person alike that stifles the approach and greeting. […]
↑Jones, Pamela (2009-11-23). "Exhibits to Microsoft's Cross Motion for Summary Judgment in Novell WordPerfect Case". Groklaw. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Burt, Thomas W.; Sparks, Bryan Wayne (2000-01-07). "Settlement agreement - Microsoft Corporation and Caldera, Inc. reach agreement to settle antitrust lawsuit"(PDF) (Court document). Case 1:05-cv-01087-JFM, Document 104-8, Filed 2009-11-13; NOV00107061-NOV00107071; LT2288-LT2298; Lan12S311263739.1; Exhibit A. Archived from the original on 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2018-08-03. […] Microsoft will pay to Caldera, by wire transfer in accordance with written instructions provided by Caldera, the amount of two hundred eighty million dollars ($280,000,000), as full settlement of all claims or potential claims covered by this agreement […] (NB. This document of the Caldera v. Microsoft case was an exhibit in the later Comes v. Microsoft case.)
↑Gomes, Lee (2000-01-11). "Microsoft Will Pay $275 Million To Settle Lawsuit From Caldera". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2016-12-31. Retrieved 2019-11-24. Microsoft Corp. agreed to pay an estimated $275 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit by Caldera Inc., heading off a trial that was likely to air nasty allegations from a decade ago. […] Microsoft and Caldera, a small Salt Lake City software company that brought the suit in 1996, didn't disclose terms of the settlement. Microsoft, though, said it would take a charge of three cents a share for the agreement in the fiscal third quarter ending March 31 […] the company has roughly 5.5 billion shares outstanding […]
