Avinash Akhal is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. He holds a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Manchester and formerly worked as a researcher at the Education Policy Institute. Outside of work, he is either crafting his boxing skills, listening to a podcast or losing money on the stock market.

The pandemic created the perfect environment for the spread of misinformation. A new disease and rapid government responses meant people were desperate for the most recent information, with constant uncertainty leading some to seek 

 source. “Prior to the pandemic, many people weren't even aware of the terms misinformation and disinformation, and certainly weren't aware that these were things that could impact them,” says Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker, a senior lecturer in sociology at City, University of London. “There is much more public awareness now around media manipulation and the power of algorithms to amplify content.” 

Canvas8

 With heightened awareness of the potential dangers embedded in social media, a lack of action from governments and Big Tech has prompted some people to make a big change – in 2020, 43% of Facebook users in the UK said they had considered quitting the social network. 

Statista

Fake news can be particularly damaging for Gen Alphas and Zers, who are less likely to hold the correct tools to recognise and deal with misinformation. Throughout 2021, many teachers witnessed a rise in extremist views and conspiracy theories in their classrooms, yet few feel adequately trained to tackle or challenge these views. 

The Guardian

 According to research from Vodafone, 46% of teens have fallen for fake news, and they reportedly see fake stories around 17 times per month. 

TechRound

 Adults are also frequently exposed to misinformation, but data from 2020 suggested that around 88% feel ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ sceptical about the information they see on social media. 

YouGov

The constant barrage of misinformation is sparking frustration, leading people to demand change. In our March 2022 

, we looked at how this is manifesting. Now continuously exposed to fake news online, people overwhelmingly believe that brands should step up to tackle the issue. To dive deeper into the topic, we spoke to eight adults across the UK to understand their perspectives on how brands can address the problem. This research was conducted prior to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and as the world turns its focus to a geopolitical crisis in which information is a key weapon, fake news has taken on an even deadlier potency, so these responses may offer wider lessons about people’s sensitivity towards misinformation and loss of trust.

Online platforms play a significant role in tackling misinformation as they have a responsibility towards everyone. They should do more to verify users and reduce bots posting content. I don’t use Facebook anymore due to fake news on the platform.

Brands should either do nothing or be responsible and take a stand, not go halfway. They could introduce a neutral third-party system that reviews and prevents misinformation. I’ve stopped using Facebook due to the frequency of misinformation.

Online platforms should take more responsibility for tackling misinformation instead of placing the burden on the audience to spot fake news. They should create software that scans for key terms. I’ve seen false information on most social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

There should be more restrictions on the content that people can upload to social media as there is a lot of misinformation. I would use social media and let my children use it more often if more working regulations were in place. 

Britons are increasingly wary of the info they encounter online

Online platforms should ensure that misinformation is not put out there and content is researched correctly. For instance, there was a lot of misinformation about COVID-19. But, in general, the prevalence of fake news does not affect my usage of these platforms.

It's essential that big brands, like the BBC, look into the misinformation they give to their users. Before producing content, they should do more research because the information can be misused on social media. 

Social media platforms should emphasise the report and block buttons, especially when the information comes up in terms of cookies and your personal information. People should have precise, condensed details on where their data is going.

Online firms have a responsibility to take an upfront approach with misleading information as it can cause issues in different ways. Facebook has an excellent fact-checking system, but Twitter doesn’t have many systems in place, and Instagram is somewhere in the middle.

A lack of IRL contact in lockdown helped fake news proliferate

Is it too late for social platforms to rebuild people’s trust in their ability to tackle misinformation? “Brands should either do nothing or be responsible and take a stand, not go halfway,” says Josh, 25, from London. “I’ve stopped using Facebook due to the frequency of misinformation.” Distrust of Big Tech is now culturally established, and without sufficient intervention, people’s confidence in the sector will continue to worsen. But concerted action can still make a difference, especially on issues with a global impact. Indeed, we’ve seen people seek assistance from Big Tech in surfacing factual information about the invasion of 

. And there are precedents for this kind of action – 

 partnered with Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court in the rollout of several measures to reduce the risk of misinformation in the lead up to the 2022 election, and 

 established a body of experts to advise on election-related matters, such as the viability of political ads. 

 users have also pushed for a ban on COVID-19 misinformation on the platform.

The ability to distinguish between fact and fiction can sometimes be difficult, with 57% of the people worldwide saying they have bought a fake product in the past unknowingly or doubting the originality of the item. 

PR Newswire

 The era of fake news has made it even harder to determine what’s true online, though some social platforms are making efforts to help. During the pandemic, Instagram introduced several COVID-19 features, including an Information Center that connects users to guidance from trusted sources. 

Instagram

 This goes beyond simply placing misinformation ‘warning signs’ on social media posts, which research suggests have little impact. 

Nieman Journalism Lab

 Social platforms could broaden the scope of conversations by connecting people with credible outlets and institutions on other topics, such as the 

, which answers questions about the UK economy. Fact-checking websites like 

 can be linked to viral posts to ensure people feel adequately supported to spot misinformation. Posts may also be supplemented with links to discussion-focused forums like 

 when it comes to subjective content. There’s room for innovation in these initiatives as well, such as an effort to feed accurate information about the war in Ukraine to Russians via 

Brands factor heavily into users’ news feeds due to personalised ad algorithms, and this doesn’t present an issue for many people. Indeed, 61% of Britons feel positively towards hyper-personalised online advertising. 

Marketing Tech

 But at the same time, people want more control over their newsfeeds and the frequency at which they receive tailored content. So, could social platforms give users more power when deciding the regularity of promotional and foreign content? For instance, could users choose only to see posts above a certain threshold of engagement or only those from friends or verified accounts? Brands may take inspiration from similar tools to control news feeds, such as the 

United Kingdom

Communications

With misinformation seemingly ever-present on social media, many people are feeling frustrated trying to decipher fact from fiction. Following on from tracking this behaviour in our Communications Sector Snapshot, Canvas8 spoke to eight Britons to understand the impact of fake news.

Communications Sector Snapshot: March 2022

Citizenship Sector Snapshot: Sep 2021

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