The misinformation that is spread daily has become part of our everyday lives, influencing public discourse and affecting perceptions. In the two weeks before the federal election in 2025, nearly two thirds of adults (60%) reported hearing election misinformation. Only 19% did not come across it, and 21% weren’t sure.
Misinformation frustrates and overwhelms many Australians. Many Australians lack the skills and time to check facts and believe that governments and platforms need to do more to combat misinformation.
Only 41% adults say they are confident in their ability to verify online information. 40% also claim they can determine whether social media posts can be trusted. Low confidence increases concern. Nearly three quarters (73%) are worried about false information being spread during the election.
This lack of confidence and anxiety can cause people to stop following the news and politics. People are more likely (44%) to ignore something they think is misinformation about elections than they are to check the facts. Election misinformation is so pervasive that it could turn people away from democratic institutions.
Many people do not investigate information that is questionable because of political exhaustion. They may not use their skills or knowledge to verify the misinformation. Audiences who are concerned about information uncertainty may disengage.
This study was conducted to provide an overview of the findings.
We asked the public to identify false information by providing five examples on social media. These were spread during the election campaign. The examples were provided to us by a fact-checker. Two of the four examples were about misinformation relating to the Labor Party. The other two were about misinformation pertaining to the Liberal-National Coalition. One was a neutral example.
Participants were either unsure or responded “no”, indicating that the information was not misinformation. The perception of misinformation in elections by ordinary people is different from that of fact-checkers. In the five examples, the percentage of people who correctly identified misinformation varied from 43% up to 58%. In the case of misinformation aimed at Labor, there were higher percentages (48% and 58%) of correct responses. Only 43% of respondents correctly identified the non-partisan example as false information.
In this study, 16-34% of the respondents answered “uncertain”. This confirms that many Australian voters are indifferent and disengaged with politics.
The responses of respondents with a left-leaning, centre-leaning and right leaning are very different. Left-leaning respondents were more likely to find misinformation in two posts about Labor (67% and 80%) than two posts about coalition (30%, and 51%) or non-partisan example (53%)
The same was true for those who identified themselves as right-wing. They were more likely than others to identify two posts about the coalition (61% & 55%), rather than content that concerned Labor (39% & 45%) or non-partisan (43%).
The perception of misinformation is strongly linked to one’s identity and beliefs. people can still believe false information, even if the facts contradict it. Acceptance is easier to accept than rejection.
The rejection of false information involves an extra cognitive process, which requires motivation and resource. People tend to reject information that does not match their beliefs.
News that matters is quality
We discovered a strong link between the ability of people to verify information and their access to high-quality news. People who are well-informed and regularly read the news are less susceptible to misinformation. They feel empowered to take part in politics.
Media literacy training can also help people to distinguish misinformation, and to react to it responsibly. Media literacy education combined with better access to quality information can help people navigate online environments and distinguish misinformation.
No matter how hard we try to eliminate or reduce misinformation from our information ecosystem, it will still be a problem. The federal government’s development of a National Media Literacy Strategy is timely.
You can take some steps to fight misinformation.
In order to combat misinformation, it is important that the legal and regulatory framework supports proactive measures. Digital platforms should be transparent in their targeting of certain groups.
Second, it is important to promote quality, factual information that counters misinformation. The public needs reliable sources of information and news.
We can also improve the media literacy of people so they can recognize misinformation and respond confidently. Our data shows that more than half (51%) of respondents have never been given media literacy training.
The Australian public has expressed strong opinions and a desire to intervene in the online environment. This is especially true when it comes to election misinformation.
The majority of respondents, 70%, support the idea that the government should restrict false information in social media even if this limits the freedom to access and publish information.
In addition, 83% of respondents support the implementation of truth in advertising legislation at a federal level.
Sora Park is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), Creative Australia and Boundless earth.
Jee-Young Lee has received funding from Creative Australia, the Australian Research Council and Boundless earth.
Kieran Mcguinness has received funding through the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Google News Initiative.
