A new study found that less than half of Australians can spot election misinformation online, and, yeah, that’s not great news for democracy.
In the two weeks leading up to the 2025 federal election, almost three out of five Aussie adults said they encountered dodgy political information online.
Ironically, the biggest culprits were politicians and political parties themselves, who were most often reported to spread misinformation. The most trusted sources of news and information about the election were the Australian Electoral Commission and the good old public TV.
Only 41 per cent of Australians feel confident they can tell if something online is true. When it comes to social media posts, that drops to 40 per cent, which is worrying, given that 57 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds said their main source of election information was social media.
In fact, even worse, when people do suspect a post might be misinformation, just one in four actually check the facts, while half ignore it. This low confidence in identifying misinformation can lead to disengagement from news and politics.
“The pervasive nature of election misinformation could be turning people away from democratic institutions and processes,” the report warns.
The study also found that partisan bias plays a role in people’s ability to identify misinformation, with left-wing people more likely to agree with the fact-checker on election misinformation about the Labour Party. In contrast, right-wing people are more likely to agree with the fact-checker on misinformation about the Liberal National Party.
Researchers say that’s because our brains find it easier to accept things that align with what we already believe. Rejecting false info takes more mental effort, so we just… don’t.
The study found that we can combat misinformation by providing media literacy education and improving people’s access to quality news. Currently, less than half of Australians have received media literacy education.
The good news
We know that Aussies are on board for action on misinformation, with 70 per cent saying government and 75 per cent saying social media companies should take steps to restrict false information online, even if it limits freedom to publish and access information.
A whopping 83 per cent say we need nationwide “truth in political advertising” laws, because right now, being honest during an election isn’t a legal requirement.
The report recommends tackling election misinformation through stronger legal and regulatory measures, including greater transparency from digital platforms about how they target certain groups. It also suggests amplifying accurate, high-quality information so people have trusted sources to rely on and improving people’s media literacy through education.
TL;DR: Election misinformation is rife, most of us can’t spot it, and politicians are often part of the problem. Aussies want stronger rules, more transparency, and truth in political advertising, because democracy shouldn’t come down to who has the best meme.
Lead image: Getty Images
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