Social media emerges as the primary source of misinformation (77.4 per cent) compared to mainstream media (23 per cent). Among social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) is the leading platform for spreading fake news (61 per cent), followed closely by Facebook (34 per cent), according to the study Fact-Checking India: Identifying the Spread of Fake News and Policy Recommendations for Combatting Misinformation.

The study was jointly conducted by the Institute of Data Science at the Indian School of Business (ISB) and CyberPeace Foundation.

The sample size for the content analysis was 500 fake news items collected from fact-checking site AltNews during 2022-2024. For the perception and experience survey, the sample size stood at 5,555 consumers in the country.

The perception and experience survey reveals that about 75 per cent of people rely primarily on social media for news, with a strong preference for video content (68.21 per cent). Facebook stands out as the preferred platform for news, with varying levels of usage observed across different age groups.

“Political fake news is the most frequent accounting for 46 per cent of cases. This theme, along with general issues (33.6 per cent) and religion (16.8 per cent), represents 94 per cent of the fake news stories analysed, underscoring the significant impact of misinformation, particularly in political contexts,” Manish Gangwar, Executive Director of the institute, said.

Presenting the outcome of the report, he said that individuals that are young (especially those age group of 18-24 years), belong to low-income groups (earning less than Rs. 2,000), and have lower education levels are more susceptible to fake news.

“They are also more likely to share misinformation without verifying the facts and authenticity, contributing to its spread. Age, income and education are crucial factors in combatting fake news,” he said.

He said the findings underscore the importance of understanding demographic differences in news consumption behaviour, with younger users often less aware of the potential risks of sharing fake news, while older individuals exhibit greater awareness of misinformation risks. “The study also emphasises the need for comprehensive media literacy programs, improved reporting mechanisms, and collaborative efforts among stakeholders to tackle the challenges posed by fake news and deepfakes,” he said.

Recommendations

Gangwar felt that targetted awareness campaigns were required to address the challenge of the spread of fake news and misinformation. “We should priotise educating the public about political misinformation,” he said.

“Since political fake news predominantly uses text and video content, the creation of multimedia literacy programs will empower individuals to critically evaluate visual and audio content. Workshops and online webinars can be instrumental in teaching skills to assess the authenticity of different digital content types,” the study said in its recommendations.

Published on October 9, 2025