Social media has become an essential tool for disseminating information, but it is also a powerful vehicle for misinformation. While these platforms offer instant access to an impressive amount of content, they also allow false information to spread at lightning speed. Fake news, in particular, spreads more easily and quickly than verified information, and this has significant consequences for how we perceive reality.
1- Fake news and virality: a problem amplified by algorithms
In 2021, a study conducted by NewsGuard revealed that one in five videos on TikTok contained false information, often related to sensitive topics such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. On these platforms, it is not so much the facts that matter, but a content’s ability to generate attention. The main criterion for highlighting posts is virality, meaning the speed at which content spreads among users. Algorithms therefore favor content that provokes strong emotions: heated debates, buzz, or even clashes.
| False information is 70% more likely to be spread than verified information. |
Another study conducted by researchers at MIT in 2018 revealed that false information spreads faster and more widely than real news on Twitter. The study analyzed more than 126,000 news stories shared on the platform between 2006 and 2017, relayed by 3 million people more than 4.5 million times. The result is striking: fake news had a 70% higher propagation rate than verified information. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that sensationalist and emotionally charged content generates more reactions and, consequently, is shared more widely.
2- Why does fake news spread so quickly?
Researchers also found that false information was retweeted more often than verified information. This phenomenon was particularly observed in the political sphere, where fake news about candidates or electoral events quickly gained popularity. The study also highlighted that political fake news spreads three times faster than those concerning topics such as terrorism, natural disasters, or science.
Another explanation for this rapid spread lies in human behavior. The researchers excluded automated retweets by bots to focus on the behavior of human users. The results showed that it is indeed humans who actively participate in spreading fake news, not robots.
The mechanism of propagation can be explained in part by our tendency to be attracted to what is new. False information, often perceived as surprising or shocking novelties, exploits powerful emotions such as fear, surprise, or disgust, making it more likely to trigger reactions and be shared.
The researchers argue that this attraction to novelty and emotion is a key factor in the spread of fake news.
3- The polarization of opinions and erosion of trust
The speed at which fake news spreads can have profound consequences. By amplifying false information, it contributes to the polarization of opinions, deepening social and ideological divisions. It also erodes trust in traditional media and institutions, creating an environment conducive to widespread distrust. In some contexts, this dynamic can even jeopardize the social and political stability of societies.
In August 2022, an unfounded rumor circulated on social media claiming that a war had broken out between Kosovo and Serbia. This disinformation emerged after Serbs in Kosovo erected barricades to protest a new license plate regulation. Twitter accounts massively shared this false information, triggering widespread panic. Public figures, such as Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko, amplified these rumors, contributing to confusion and mistrust between the affected communities.
Social Media Disinformation Spreads Panic About Kosovo-Serbia ‘War’
4- Towards necessary regulation?
The virality of fake news on social media represents a major challenge for modern society. To restore trust in information and limit the effects of this virality, it is becoming urgent to establish regulatory mechanisms that hold both platforms and users accountable. But above all, this requires collective awareness and media education, so that everyone can become an informed and critical actor in managing digital information.
Source study : Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science, 359(6380), 1146-1151. DOI: 10.1126/science.aap9559
