Original question: "To the best of your knowledge, is it legal or illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media?" The source defines catfishing as a situation "where users are tricked by fake accounts into online relationships and sometimes scammed out of money". Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
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U.S. adults on the legality of creating fake online personas 2022
According to a survey conducted in the United States in January in 2022, almost half of all respondents said that they thought it was illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media. An additional 16 percent of those asked said that they thought false impersonation on social media was legal.
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Morning Consult. (January 27, 2022). Share of adults in the United States who think it is illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media as of January 2022 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved August 04, 2026, from /statistics/1293386/us-adults-on-legality-of-fake-online-persona/
Morning Consult. "Share of adults in the United States who think it is illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media as of January 2022." Chart. January 27, 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed August 04, 2026. /statistics/1293386/us-adults-on-legality-of-fake-online-persona/
Morning Consult. (2022). Share of adults in the United States who think it is illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media as of January 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: August 04, 2026. /statistics/1293386/us-adults-on-legality-of-fake-online-persona/
Morning Consult. "Share of Adults in The United States Who Think It Is Illegal to Create a Fake Persona or Impersonate Another Person on Social Media as of January 2022." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 27 Jan 2022, /statistics/1293386/us-adults-on-legality-of-fake-online-persona/
Morning Consult, Share of adults in the United States who think it is illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media as of January 2022 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1293386/us-adults-on-legality-of-fake-online-persona/ (last visited August 04, 2026)
Share of adults in the United States who think it is illegal to create a fake persona or impersonate another person on social media as of January 2022 [Graph], Morning Consult, January 27, 2022. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1293386/us-adults-on-legality-of-fake-online-persona/
