Social media main source of fake news

Despite tall claims made by Facebook that it is removing a million fake accounts a day in India, a survey revealed that one in two Indians has received fake news in the previous month and Facebook and WhatsApp are the platforms which are being used excessively to misinform the users.

The survey by online startup Social Media Matters and New Delhi-based Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics found that over 53 per cent of Indians received fake news related to the upcoming elections over various social media platforms.

“Nearly 62 per cent of the population believes that the upcoming elections will be influenced by the misinformation that the users are receiving,” the findings showed.

“Facebook and WhatsApp are the leading platforms being used to disseminate misinformation. The survey stated that 96 per cent of the sample population received fake news via WhatsApp,” the findings showed.

“Since half-a-billion voters have access to Internet, fake news can have a massive impact on the elections,” said the survey.