Social media is the No. 1 source of disinformation, according to US internet users

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Key stat: 64% of US adults think disinformation and “fake news” are most widespread on social media, according to a September 2023 survey from UNESCO and Ipsos.

Beyond the chart:

• It’s a presidential election year, which means the risk for misinformation and disinformation on social media is rampant. That presents a major brand safety challenge for marketers, whose content could end up next to unsavory posts.
• Some social media platforms are trying to distance themselves from political content. TikTok does not allow political ads while Instagram and Threads pledged to stop promoting political content, though it’s unclear what is defined as political.
• Brands need to have guidelines in place for responding to brand safety issues, as social platforms have outdated and insufficient policies for mis- and disinformation, as noted in our Political Content and Social Media 2024 report.

Use this chart:

• Evaluate brand safety risks of different platforms.
• Assess election-year marketing strategies.

More like this:

• Social media predictions: Search’s impact on the commerce wars and LinkedIn’s ascent
• The shifts that will impact 2024’s video ad landscape
• Brands that retract support for social causes risk losing consumers
• What is the difference between brand suitability and brand safety?

Note: Respondents were asked, "On which information sources do you think disinformation and 'fake news' are most widespread?"

Methodology: Data is from the November 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Ipsos "Survey on the Impact of Online Disinformation and Hate Speech." 8,000 internet users worldwide ages 18+ were surveyed during August 22-September 22, 2023.