fake news

Fake News

Stories that spread misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and hoaxes, often on right-wing websites and via social media accounts

Fake news sites and social media accounts proliferated during the 2016 elections and spread hoaxes and deliberate false information to millions of American -- a trend that has continued since, including through other means such as memes. Social media has remained a hot spot for the spread of falsehoods, both intentional and unintentional. Both foreign and domestic actors (including known disinformation sites) have used major platforms to spread misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, allowing them to proliferate elsewhere online and offline.

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