Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Misinformation on social media - statistics & facts
Good news travels fast, bad news travels faster. What happens to inaccurate news? Misinformation has become one of the defining challenges of the digital age, spreading rapidly across social media platforms and increasingly fueled by artificial intelligence. From deepfakes and false claims about extreme weather to politically charged unrest, misleading content is eroding trust and raising urgent questions about accountability, safety, and the role of technology in shaping our lives.
In the United States, 60 percent of adults said they were concerned about the spread of deepfake videos and audio produced by artificial intelligence. Similarly, a 2024 survey in the United Kingdom revealed that 77 percent of girls and young women had experienced online harm in the past year, with 59 percent of respondents overall expressing concern that AI might be used to create fake images of them or impersonate them online.
Brits aged over 65 years were the most likely to say that social media companies should be held responsible for posts inciting criminal behavior on social media. In contrast, one third of those aged under 24 years believed these platforms should not be held responsible. Moreover, 41 percent of Reform UK voters in the last general election said that social media companies should not be held responsible, whereas Labour voters were the most inclined to support holding social platforms accountable for incitement of violence. As of August 2024, a total of 28 individuals across England and Wales were charged with online offenses in relation to these incidents.
Misinformation on social media is no longer a series of isolated incidents but a persistent and evolving challenge, amplified by AI, unchecked falsehoods on social media, and politically charged unrest. Public concern is widespread, with users calling for accountability, yet platforms continue to fall short in preventing the spread of harmful content. Without decisive action through stronger safeguards, transparent fact-checking, and greater responsibility from tech companies, the risks posed by misinformation will only deepen, threatening democratic processes, public safety, and trust in the digital public sphere.
AI and misinformation worries
Public concern over the impact of artificial intelligence on information, elections, and online safety is growing worldwide. According to a global survey in 2025, 64 percent of participants expressed worry that AI-generated content could influence elections, while 70 percent admitted they struggle to trust online information because they cannot tell if it was generated by AI.In the United States, 60 percent of adults said they were concerned about the spread of deepfake videos and audio produced by artificial intelligence. Similarly, a 2024 survey in the United Kingdom revealed that 77 percent of girls and young women had experienced online harm in the past year, with 59 percent of respondents overall expressing concern that AI might be used to create fake images of them or impersonate them online.
Misinformation spreads like wildfire
Recent studies highlight how misinformation about extreme weather is spreading across major social media platforms with little to no warning labels. Between April 2023 and April 2025, a study found that 49 percent of social media posts with false information about extreme weather were related to wildfires. Additionally, 99 percent of misleading extreme weather claims on X (formerly Twitter) were debunked or labelled. On YouTube, there was no labelling of misleading extreme weather content with an expert or crowdsourced fact-check label. Overall, the same applies to 98 percent of posts on Meta's Facebook and Instagram.The summer of unrest
Throughout July and August of 2024, the UK saw several far-right and anti-immigration riots, many of which were planned on social media. Many people in the UK hold social media companies accountable for the mishandling of the misinformation that circulated on online platforms. As of August 2024, 46 percent of UK respondents thought that social media networks did a bad job at handling misinformation during the riots. Just one percent stated that a particularly good job was done.Brits aged over 65 years were the most likely to say that social media companies should be held responsible for posts inciting criminal behavior on social media. In contrast, one third of those aged under 24 years believed these platforms should not be held responsible. Moreover, 41 percent of Reform UK voters in the last general election said that social media companies should not be held responsible, whereas Labour voters were the most inclined to support holding social platforms accountable for incitement of violence. As of August 2024, a total of 28 individuals across England and Wales were charged with online offenses in relation to these incidents.
Misinformation on social media is no longer a series of isolated incidents but a persistent and evolving challenge, amplified by AI, unchecked falsehoods on social media, and politically charged unrest. Public concern is widespread, with users calling for accountability, yet platforms continue to fall short in preventing the spread of harmful content. Without decisive action through stronger safeguards, transparent fact-checking, and greater responsibility from tech companies, the risks posed by misinformation will only deepen, threatening democratic processes, public safety, and trust in the digital public sphere.
