GITNUXREPORT 2025

Misused Statistics

Majority of Americans unknowingly share misinformation, fueling distrust and polarization.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking • Reputable sources • Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

40% of social media posts flagged as misinformation are later found to be inaccurate upon fact-checking

Statistic 2

38% of online adults have encountered misinformation about COVID-19

Statistic 3

58% of respondents in a survey poorly distinguish between real and fake news headlines

Statistic 4

65% of internet users worldwide have encountered misinformation online

Statistic 5

42% of journalists admit that misinformation is a major challenge in their work

Statistic 6

49% of students struggle to differentiate between credible sources and misinformation

Statistic 7

74% of adults have encountered false information about health on social media

Statistic 8

80% of misinformation detected on social media is related to health and medicine

Statistic 9

41% of mass shootings in the US have been linked to misinformation spread online prior to the event

Statistic 10

45% of Americans believe that a lot of news on social media is false or misleading

Statistic 11

44% of Americans say that misinformation influenced their opinion about a political candidate

Statistic 12

67% of Americans are concerned about misinformation impacting elections

Statistic 13

72% of people believe that the government should do more to combat misinformation

Statistic 14

39% of adults report feeling overwhelmed by the amount of misinformation they encounter daily

Statistic 15

47% of Americans are unsure whether they can trust information they see online

Statistic 16

33% of people have reported that misinformation has caused confusion about vaccine safety

Statistic 17

55% of journalists say misinformation has increased significantly over the past five years

Statistic 18

29% of online users believe they can identify misinformation reliably, while 71% are unsure or believe otherwise

Statistic 19

48% of Americans have been exposed to misinformation about climate change

Statistic 20

69% of adults favor increased regulation of online platforms to curb misinformation

Statistic 21

35% of Americans have changed their views on scientific issues due to misinformation received online

Statistic 22

63% of Americans say misinformation contributes to political polarization

Statistic 23

46% of teachers worry that misinformation impacts classroom learning

Statistic 24

54% of Americans believe that social media companies are not doing enough to prevent misinformation

Statistic 25

76% of Americans agree that misinformation is a serious problem that requires government intervention

Statistic 26

42% of internet users have changed their opinions on a major issue after reading misinformation online

Statistic 27

49% of Americans say they have been misled by information online about the economy

Statistic 28

36% of users report that misinformation influences their purchasing decisions

Statistic 29

58% of Americans worry about the impact of misinformation on their personal health decisions

Statistic 30

43% of Americans cite misinformation as a key reason they distrust mainstream news outlets

Statistic 31

68% of internet users believe that misinformation spreads faster than truth online

Statistic 32

53% of social media users say they are less likely to trust the news they see due to misinformation

Statistic 33

59% of American parents worry that misinformation influences their children's beliefs

Statistic 34

74% of respondents in a survey say misinformation impacts their voting behavior

Statistic 35

31% of Americans have encountered misinformation about immigration, leading to polarized opinions

Statistic 36

65% of survey respondents believe that misinformation on social media is a significant threat to democracy

Statistic 37

52% of voters felt that misinformation during the last election cycle influenced their voting decisions

Statistic 38

49% of Americans believe that politicians use misinformation as a tool to gain votes

Statistic 39

63% of internet users are concerned about finding reliable health information online

Statistic 40

44% of Americans think that social media platforms should be held accountable for misinformation

Statistic 41

60% of social media users admit to sharing news they haven't fact-checked

Statistic 42

70% of fake news stories are shared by people with more than 10,000 followers

Statistic 43

52% of Americans have shared a piece of news without verifying its accuracy

Statistic 44

71% of social media users have taken a break from a platform due to misinformation issues

Statistic 45

53% of college students admit to having shared misinformation, intentionally or unintentionally, during recent elections

Statistic 46

62% of online content flagged as misinformation is shared more widely than factual information

Statistic 47

55% of health-related misinformation originates from social media sources

Statistic 48

26% of Americans report that they rarely or never verify information they see online

Statistic 49

54% of health misinformation is shared on Facebook

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Sources

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Trust Badges - Publications that have cited our reports

Key Highlights

60% of social media users admit to sharing news they haven't fact-checked
45% of Americans believe that a lot of news on social media is false or misleading
70% of fake news stories are shared by people with more than 10,000 followers
38% of online adults have encountered misinformation about COVID-19
58% of respondents in a survey poorly distinguish between real and fake news headlines
65% of internet users worldwide have encountered misinformation online
52% of Americans have shared a piece of news without verifying its accuracy
42% of journalists admit that misinformation is a major challenge in their work
49% of students struggle to differentiate between credible sources and misinformation
44% of Americans say that misinformation influenced their opinion about a political candidate
71% of social media users have taken a break from a platform due to misinformation issues
67% of Americans are concerned about misinformation impacting elections
72% of people believe that the government should do more to combat misinformation

Did you know that over 60% of social media users admit to sharing news without fact-checking, fueling a misinformation epidemic that threatens democracy, health, and trust in the digital age?

Fact-Checking, Detection, and Regulation

40% of social media posts flagged as misinformation are later found to be inaccurate upon fact-checking

Fact-Checking, Detection, and Regulation Interpretation

The statistic—that 40% of flagged social media posts are later proven inaccurate—highlights the fine line between vigilant moderation and the risk of misjudging truth, reminding us that even in fact-checking, mistakes are part of the complex dance between misinformation and information.

Misinformation and Fake News Awareness

38% of online adults have encountered misinformation about COVID-19
58% of respondents in a survey poorly distinguish between real and fake news headlines
65% of internet users worldwide have encountered misinformation online
42% of journalists admit that misinformation is a major challenge in their work
49% of students struggle to differentiate between credible sources and misinformation
74% of adults have encountered false information about health on social media
80% of misinformation detected on social media is related to health and medicine
41% of mass shootings in the US have been linked to misinformation spread online prior to the event

Misinformation and Fake News Awareness Interpretation

While alarming statistics reveal that a significant portion of online adults grapple with misinformation—from health myths to violent provocations—it underscores that in the digital age, the real crisis is not just the spread of falsehoods, but the collective challenge of sorting truth from fiction amidst an echo chamber of unreliable sources.

Public Perceptions and Concerns

45% of Americans believe that a lot of news on social media is false or misleading
44% of Americans say that misinformation influenced their opinion about a political candidate
67% of Americans are concerned about misinformation impacting elections
72% of people believe that the government should do more to combat misinformation
39% of adults report feeling overwhelmed by the amount of misinformation they encounter daily
47% of Americans are unsure whether they can trust information they see online
33% of people have reported that misinformation has caused confusion about vaccine safety
55% of journalists say misinformation has increased significantly over the past five years
29% of online users believe they can identify misinformation reliably, while 71% are unsure or believe otherwise
48% of Americans have been exposed to misinformation about climate change
69% of adults favor increased regulation of online platforms to curb misinformation
35% of Americans have changed their views on scientific issues due to misinformation received online
63% of Americans say misinformation contributes to political polarization
46% of teachers worry that misinformation impacts classroom learning
54% of Americans believe that social media companies are not doing enough to prevent misinformation
76% of Americans agree that misinformation is a serious problem that requires government intervention
42% of internet users have changed their opinions on a major issue after reading misinformation online
49% of Americans say they have been misled by information online about the economy
36% of users report that misinformation influences their purchasing decisions
58% of Americans worry about the impact of misinformation on their personal health decisions
43% of Americans cite misinformation as a key reason they distrust mainstream news outlets
68% of internet users believe that misinformation spreads faster than truth online
53% of social media users say they are less likely to trust the news they see due to misinformation
59% of American parents worry that misinformation influences their children's beliefs
74% of respondents in a survey say misinformation impacts their voting behavior
31% of Americans have encountered misinformation about immigration, leading to polarized opinions
65% of survey respondents believe that misinformation on social media is a significant threat to democracy
52% of voters felt that misinformation during the last election cycle influenced their voting decisions
49% of Americans believe that politicians use misinformation as a tool to gain votes
63% of internet users are concerned about finding reliable health information online
44% of Americans think that social media platforms should be held accountable for misinformation

Public Perceptions and Concerns Interpretation

With nearly three-quarters of Americans agreeing that misinformation is a serious threat warranting government action, it's clear that in the battle between truth and falsehood online, trust is the casualty and skepticism is the new normal—making us wonder if our digital reality is more fiction than fact.

Social Media Behavior and Sharing

60% of social media users admit to sharing news they haven't fact-checked
70% of fake news stories are shared by people with more than 10,000 followers
52% of Americans have shared a piece of news without verifying its accuracy
71% of social media users have taken a break from a platform due to misinformation issues
53% of college students admit to having shared misinformation, intentionally or unintentionally, during recent elections
62% of online content flagged as misinformation is shared more widely than factual information
55% of health-related misinformation originates from social media sources
26% of Americans report that they rarely or never verify information they see online
54% of health misinformation is shared on Facebook

Social Media Behavior and Sharing Interpretation

Despite the alarming prevalence of misinformation on social media—where over half of Americans and students alike either share unverified news or fall for falsehoods—many users remain either unaware or indifferent to fact-checking, underscoring the urgent need for digital literacy amid a landscape where false stories often outpace truth and health misinformation proliferates unchecked.