Note: The views and opinions expressed in blog/editorial posts are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of Misbar.
Misbar’s mission is to fight fake news, empower readers to identify misinformation, and above all discover the truth.
Our blog posts and fact-checking articles walk readers through the process of debunking fake news. Sometimes, though, it’s easiest to digest information about fake news in the same form it is often spread: memes, or images paired with captions.
The following images, taken from Statista, show statistics about fake news.
These statistics show that people believe the spread of fake news has increased vastly (87%) through Internet use, and that online news websites and platforms are thought to provide the majority (62%) of fake news. Between 2018 and 2020, Facebook hate speech post removal has gone up by 7.1 million.
The statistic about people believing Internet use and social media spreads fake news goes up by 2% when applied to just Americans. Further, 69% of Americans believe that social media sites are not doing enough to combat the spread of fake news. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have begun labeling tweets that spread fake news, but this may not be enough. In fact, in 2017 Facebook admitted to hosting up to 270 million fake accounts, and the numbers have likely increased since then. Around the world, citizens are concerned about fake news, with numbers ranging from 70% to 91%.
However, not all hope is lost. Understanding statistics about fake news will help readers to think critically about it and therefore stop its spread.
