Online misinformation can influence how we vote, how we understand the world and how we treat other people. False claims, misleading videos and emotionally charged posts can spread rapidly, particularly during election campaigns, periods of political tension or public debate about migration and other sensitive issues.
You do not have to be an expert to recognise manipulation. You need to know what to question, where to verify information and when not to share something.
The European Union warns that information manipulation can undermine democratic processes, weaken trust in institutions and the media, discourage people from voting and deepen divisions between communities. Such campaigns may be conducted by domestic or foreign actors, sometimes using coordinated networks to make particular claims appear more popular or credible than they really are.
The aim is not to tell you what to think or which political views to hold. It is to help you make up your own mind using reliable information.
Strong emotions can be a warning sign.
Some misleading content is designed to make you angry, frightened, disgusted or outraged. The intention may be to encourage you to share it before checking whether it is true.
A post claiming that a politician has betrayed the country, that foreigners are receiving benefits at the expense of local families or that a particular community poses a threat may trigger an immediate reaction.
That reaction is...
Online misinformation can influence how we vote, how we understand the world and how we treat other people. False claims, misleading videos and emotionally charged posts can spread rapidly, partic...