Tech

Many developed countries see online misinformation as a ‘major threat’


Nearly three-quarters of people across 19 countries believe the spread of misinformation online is a “major threat,” according to a survey. survey released on Wednesday by the Pew Research Center.

Researchers asked 24,525 people from 19 countries with advanced economies to rate the severity of threats from climate change, infectious diseases, online misinformation, cyber attacks from other countries and the state of the global economy. Climate change is the most overrated concern for most countries, with an average of 75% of respondents seeing it as a major threat. Misinformation follows closely, with an average of 70% seeing it as a major threat.

Additional findings research that Pew released this year focused on the United States. That survey found that disinformation is most commonly associated with cyberattacks as a top concern for Americans, with about 7 out of 10 saying each is a major threat. In stark contrast to the other countries surveyed, the United States rates climate change as the lowest threat among available options.

After years of misinformation about elections and the coronavirus pandemic, 70% of Americans now believe that misinformation spreading online is a major threat. Another 26% believe it is a minor threat and only 2% say it is not.

The study results put the United States in one of the countries most concerned about online misinformation. The Germans were most concerned, with 75% saying it was a major threat. Only 42% of Israelis rate the issue as high, the lowest of any country surveyed.

Democrats and those with more education are more likely to rate online misinformation as a major threat. Republicans and those with less education are less likely to rank it higher.

Among Americans who voted for former President Donald J. Trump in 2020, 66% say online misinformation is a major threat, compared with 78% among voters who support the President Biden.

Researchers warned before that people with less education and those in more vulnerable positions (for example, because of low income or poor health) are more likely to believe and share misinformation.

The survey found that young people tend to view misinformation as less disturbing than their older counterparts. This finding is consistent with previous research shows that young people are less likely to share misinformation online and are more confident in understanding misinformation on social media.

Jacob Poushter, Pew’s associate director of global attitudes research, suggests that older adults tend to rank tech threats higher than threats like infectious disease or ailing economy.

“We know that older people are more concerned about cyberattacks and the spread of misinformation online,” Mr. Poushter said. “That could mean it’s a lot about technology.”



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