Four in ten UK adults report they have encountered misinformation or deepfake content in the previous four weeks, according to Ofcom research.

Among those who have encountered false or misleading information, seven in ten (71 per cent) say they have seen it online. Four in ten (43 per cent) say they have seen misinformation on TV, and one in five (21 per cent) via print newspapers or their associated websites/apps.

Men, young adults, people from higher socio-economic backgrounds, minority ethnic and LGB+ groups, as well as those with mental health conditions are more likely to say they have come across misinformation.

The research took place in the week before the General Election and found that respondents were most likely to have seen false or misleading information about UK politics, including the General Election, (39 per cent), followed by international politics and current affairs (33 per cent), and health and medical information (25 per cent).

This news comes as Ofcom has announced the appointment of Lord Richard Allan – already a non-Executive Member of Ofcom’s Board – as Chair of a new Misinformation and Disinformation Advisory Committee. Ofcom is also launching a recruitment drive to appoint fellow committee members with expertise in this field.

Dealing with misinformation

Over three quarters of UK adults (77 per cent) agree that it’s important to check different sources for news, while seven in ten (71 per cent) acknowledge that online information will always be a mix of reliable and unreliable posts.

Almost half of people (45 per cent) feel they can confidently judge whether sources of information are truthful. But only 30 per cent feel they can confidently judge whether an image, audio or video has been generated by AI.

When asked about how they deal with misinformation in practice, nearly half (47 per cent) say they ignore the content and move on. A quarter (26 per cent) say they use a search engine to find a more authoritative source, and a similar proportion (24 per cent) say they’d check the information on a trusted news website.

Confidence in news production

That said, a significant number of people are sceptical of conventional news production processes. Some 44 per cent agree with the statement that the more a story is edited, the less likely it is to be true, while a similar proportion think that important stories are deliberately covered up by traditional new sources (42 per cent). Similarly, 32 per cent agree that journalists follow codes of practice.

This mistrust manifests in other ways too. When asked to decide which statements about current affairs were true or false, three in ten UK adults believe that there is a single group of people who secretly control the world together (29 per cent), and a similar figure believe that there is significant evidence of large-scale election fraud (30 per cent).

Ofcom has an existing responsibility to promote media literacy. The Online Safety Act has also added more specific duties to build awareness of how people – especially those most at risk of harm – can protect themselves and others online, while encouraging the use of technologies and systems by services that empower them to do so.

Advisory Committee on Misinformation and Disinformation

Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom is required to establish and maintain an advisory committee on misinformation and disinformation, with a Chair appointed by Ofcom, and other members appointed by the Ofcom Board.

Applicants must submit their CV and an accompanying covering letter outlining how they meet the key competencies by January 12th 2025. The interview panel will comprise Lord Allan of Hallam, Jessica Zucker, Ofcom’s Online Safety Policy Development Director and Libby Watkins, Independent Panel Member.

Lord Allan said: “There is a growing body of research and expertise on the challenges posed by misinformation and potential responses to it. Our new committee will draw on this knowledge to provide the best possible advice to Ofcom and other stakeholders.”