Disentangling untruths online
Creators, spreaders and how to stop them
While false rumours, inaccurate reporting, and conspiracy theories have existed for
as long as there were people to create and spread them, the Internet has reshaped
and amplified the ability to produce and perpetuate false and misleading content.
Stopping the creators and spreaders of untruths online is essential to reducing political
polarisation, building public trust in democratic institutions, improving public health,
and more generally improving the wellbeing of people and society. This Going Digital
Toolkit note discusses the importance of access to accurate information online and
presents a novel typology of the different types of untruths that circulate on the
Internet. It considers how untruths are spread online as well as the consequences,
and it surveys the evidence base of false and misleading information online. The note
concludes by identifying approaches to fighting untruths online and mitigating their
negative effects.
Published on March 29, 2022
In series:OECD Going Digital Toolkit Notesview more titles