Disinformation

Few issues are as contentious as the role and spread of "disinformation" on social media and Internet platforms.

First and foremost is the thorny question of how disinformation can best be identified and when platforms should be required to block and/or remove content. The issue touches upon core questions of free speech and political expression. And has led to a plethora of confused policies and stop-start initiatives. According to a recent "code of conduct" agreed in 2018 with platform-industry input, platforms must remove any content that "may cause public harm" or poses "threats to democratic political and policymaking processes as well as public goods such as the protection of European Union citizens’ health, the environment or security." But the same agreement excludes a ban on "misleading advertising, reporting errors, satire and parody, or clearly identified partisan news and commentary." Drawing on the complex problem of stopping the spread of inaccurate health information in a global emergency, the European Commission released tackling COVID-19 disinformation - getting the facts right, a 16-page communication proposing monthly progress reports and tougher restrictions and labelling requirements for false health information that might be circulating through encrypted messaging apps.

Given the difficulty of legislating in this area, regulators have tended to rely on "self-regulation," such as the code of practice on disinformation mentioned above. But how well are these semi-formal agreements working? Are there perhaps lessons – positive as well as negative – that could be drawn up based on the relative success or failure of these codes in practice and the real-world functioning of the Internet in an unprecedented era of democratic expression and outright disinformation?

Below we pulled together some of the best evidence on the relative spread and level of identifiable disinformation as well as the efforts to contain and remove it.

Additional information on disinformation around the world can be found on the World Intermediary Liability Map (WILMap), led by the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School.

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Content Removed for Violations of Meta COVID-19 and Vaccine Misinformation Policies

The chart presents the distribution of the content removed by Meta from Facebook and Instagram, due to violations of its COVID-19 Misleading Information Policy, for the period June 2020 - April 2022. The report shows the efforts of Meta to limit the spread of COVID-19 disinformation online and it is part of the European Commission's Code of Practice on Disinformation monitoring process.
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Content Removed for Violations of Twitter COVID-19 Misleading Information Policy

The chart presents the distribution of the content removed by Twitter, due to violations of its COVID-19 Misleading Information Policy, for the period July 2020 - April 2022. The report shows the efforts of Twitter to limit the spread of COVID-19 disinformation online and it is part of the European Commission's Code of Practice on Disinformation monitoring process.
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Distribution of Mass Media as a Source of Getting News in the Last Week

The chart presents the distribution of different mass media (television, radio, etc.) as source of news during the coronavirus lockdown. The participants in six countries have answered to the following question "Q4: Which, if any, of the following have you used in the last week as a source of news?" Television and online are the most popular way of getting news in all six countries. The figures for newspapers are lower than normal, as countries have entered lockdown, complicating print distribution and greatly reducing single copies sales.
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Distribution of Sources Used for Coronavirus News in Germany

The chart shows that German respondents trust the most scientists, doctors and health experts when it comes to getting information about coronavirus (74%) and trust the least people they don't know (15%). The results are based on the participants' answers to the following question "Q10: How trustworthy would you say news and information about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the following is? Please use the scale below where 0 is "not at all trustworthy" and 10 is "completely trustworthy.""
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Distribution of Sources Used for Coronavirus News in Spain

The chart shows that Spanish respondents trust the most scientists, doctors and health experts when it comes to getting information about coronavirus (84%) and trust the least people they don't know (16%). The results are based on the participants' answers to the following question "Q10: How trustworthy would you say news and information about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the following is? Please use the scale below where 0 is "not at all trustworthy" and 10 is "completely trustworthy.""
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Distribution of Sources Used for Coronavirus News in the Last Week

The chart presents the distribution of sources used to obtain information about coronavirus (COVID-19) by repondents in six countries surveyed. The participants have answered to the following question "Q4: Which, if any, of the following have you used in the last week as a source of news or information about coronavirus (COVID-19)?" According to the results, in April 2020, news organisations remain among the most important sources of information. In a public health crisis, where most people are online and many diferrent organisations, including public authorities, have websites, social media accounts, and other channels available, news media are not the only sources people rely on. Across the six countries surveyed, two-thirds have relied on news organisations, ranging from a low 47% in Germany to a high 77% in South Korea.
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Distribution of Sources Used for Coronavirus News in the United Kingdom

The chart shows that United Kingdom respondents trust the most national health organisations when it comes to getting information about coronavirus (89%) and trust the least people they don't know (10%). The results are based on the participants' answers to the following question "Q10: How trustworthy would you say news and information about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the following is? Please use the scale below where 0 is "not at all trustworthy" and 10 is "completely trustworthy.""
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Europeans' Views on Whether Disinformation is a Problem in Their Country

According to the results of the Eurobarometer survey, in all countries, more than half of respondents viewed the existence of news or information that misrepresents reality or is even false as a problem. Over 90% of respondents from Cyprus, Greece and Italy view this kind of information as problem in their country, while in Belgium only 66% share this view. The respondents were asked "Q4.1 In your opinion, is the existence of news or information that misrepresent reality or even false a problem in your country?" European Union refers to EU28. The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
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Frequency of Encountering Disinformation at the European Union Level

The results of the Eurobarometer survey show that more than 60% of respondents reported encountering information or news that they believed misrepresented reality or was even false at least once per week. Only 17% reported that they did so seldom or never. The respondents were asked "Q.2 How often do you come across news or information that you believe misrepresent reality or is even false?" European Union refers to EU28. The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
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Frequency of Encountering Disinformation Online (by Country)

This chart shows the data collected via survey for the Flash Eurobarometer 464. The data shows the frequency with which respondents reported encountering information that they believe misrepresents reality or is even false. Respondents from Spain reported encountering such information with the highest frequency, while respondents from Finland reported encountering such information least frequently. The respondents were asked "Q2 How often do you come across news or information that misrepresent reality or even false a problem in your country?" European Union refers to EU28. The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020.