UN Report: Majority of Social Media Influencers Share Information Without Fact-Checking

A new study conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has found that almost two-thirds of digital content creators surveyed (62%) said they do not check the accuracy of information before sharing it with their online followers.

In other words, most social media influencers share information with their followers without checking its accuracy. 

‘As audiences increasingly turn to digital content creators for access to information, the need for creators to prioritise accuracy becomes even more important. False information and misinformation can quickly erode trust, leading to scepticism and disengagement,’ the researchers write. 

According to the new UNESCO survey, about a third (33.5%) would share content without being sure they trust the source or author of the information. 

Some 37% of these online influencers said they verify content before sharing it with their audience. 

Popularity, i.e. the share of likes and views of online content, was the main way in which authors checked the credibility of a source. More than 4 in 10 content creators (41.6%) use popularity to assess the credibility of an online source.

Just over 20% of authors determine the credibility of an online resource based on whether it has been shared by an expert or a trusted friend. The third most common way, at 19.4 per cent, was to check the reputation of the publisher or author. About 17 per cent relied on documentation or evidence to assess credibility. 

58.1 per cent of authors used their personal experiences and encounters as a source for their content, the UNESCO survey found. 

And 38.7% said the source was their research or interviews with people familiar with the subject, according to the study. 

The survey was conducted in August-September this year among 500 content creators from 45 countries. Influencers had to have at least 1,000 followers.

A previous recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre found that approximately one in five Americans (21%) receive news from social media influencers. Among people under the age of 30, this figure rose to 37%.

The study comes in the wake of the 2024 US presidential election, when both major party candidates, Vice President Harris and President-elect Trump, at times relied on social media influencers to share their messages and reach new voters.