Misinformation About Earthquake Spreads Rapidly on Social Media

In the wake of the recent earthquake, social media platforms have been flooded with misinformation, creating unnecessary panic among already anxious residents. Facebook, in particular, became a breeding ground for fake news as users shared numerous fabricated images and videos purporting to show earthquake damage.

Fact-checking organizations have been working overtime to combat this surge of misinformation. A collaborative effort between four prominent verification groups—Rumour Scanner, Dismisslab, Fact-Watch, and BanglaFact—identified and debunked 113 pieces of misleading content circulating online between November 22 and last Friday.

Of these misleading posts, 45 were directly related to the earthquake, with more than half (24) involving AI-generated images or videos designed to appear authentic. These fabricated visuals typically depicted catastrophic scenarios such as collapsed buildings, severely cracked roadways, and fallen flyovers that had not actually occurred.

Rumour Scanner emerged as the most active fact-checking organization during this period, publishing 94 verification reports in a single week. Dismisslab contributed 11 reports to the effort, while Fact-Watch and BanglaFact published 5 and 3 reports respectively.

The proliferation of AI-generated content presents a growing challenge for fact-checkers and the public alike. Unlike obviously manipulated images of the past, today’s AI tools can create highly realistic visuals that require specialized knowledge to identify as fake. Many social media users, particularly those with limited digital literacy, shared these deceptive posts without verification, amplifying their reach.

Disaster misinformation experts note that this pattern of viral falsehoods following natural disasters has become increasingly common worldwide. During times of crisis, information vacuums can quickly fill with speculation and fabricated content, especially when official communications are delayed or incomplete.

“The human impulse to share dramatic content during disasters, combined with the ease of creating convincing fake imagery using AI, creates a perfect storm for misinformation,” explains Dr. Mahmuda Khatun, a digital media researcher at Dhaka University who was not involved in the fact-checking efforts.

Social media platforms have faced criticism for their handling of disaster-related misinformation. Despite policies against sharing false information that could cause harm, the volume and velocity of posts during crisis events often overwhelm content moderation systems.

Local authorities have urged residents to rely only on official government communications and established news sources for information about earthquake impacts and safety measures. They’ve also encouraged the public to verify information through multiple credible sources before sharing content online.

The earthquake itself caused significant concern across the region, though actual structural damage was less severe than what was portrayed in many of the misleading posts. Civil engineers have conducted safety assessments of key infrastructure, finding most buildings and roadways to be structurally sound despite some superficial damage.

For fact-checkers, the challenge extends beyond the immediate aftermath. False narratives established during disasters can persist for months or years, potentially influencing public trust in institutions and emergency response protocols for future events.

The four fact-checking organizations have announced plans to compile their findings into a comprehensive report analyzing patterns in earthquake-related misinformation, which they hope will help improve both public awareness and platform policies regarding disaster content.

Digital literacy experts emphasize that being skeptical of dramatic imagery, checking source credibility, and waiting for verification before sharing are crucial habits that can help limit the spread of misinformation during critical events like natural disasters.