Instagram Extends Fact-Checking Program to Combat Misinformation Globally

Facebook has rolled out a new feature enabling Instagram users worldwide to flag potentially false information, expanding efforts to tackle misinformation across its platforms. The tool, initially introduced to U.S. users in mid-August, represents part of a broader strategy to combat fake news on social media.

The new flagging system allows users to report suspicious content by tapping the three dots in the top right corner of posts, selecting “report,” then “it’s inappropriate,” and finally “false information.” This feature complements Facebook’s existing fact-checking program, where content identified as false on Facebook can also be flagged on Instagram.

“This is an initial step as we work toward a more comprehensive approach to tackling misinformation,” said Stephanie Otway, an Instagram spokeswoman.

While fact-checking partners have welcomed the new feature, they’ve expressed concerns about workflow challenges and uncertainty regarding its effectiveness. Aaron Sharockman, executive director of PolitiFact, a U.S. non-profit participating in the program, noted some limitations with the tool.

“Parts of the Instagram tool are less well-defined than the Facebook one. The amount of content that is sent to us is much smaller,” Sharockman explained. On the day of his interview with the BBC, he had received only 31 Instagram posts to review, many of which he wouldn’t categorize as false information.

Sharockman emphasized his organization’s focus on “pure misinformation” related to politics and the upcoming 2020 U.S. election, particularly content with significant reach. He also highlighted difficulties in searching for specific content on Instagram, especially when misinformation appears in images or memes.

Health misinformation represents a significant concern on the platform. Will Moy of another fact-checking partner organization pointed to widespread false claims about vaccination, 5G technology, and alleged toxins in food and drink.

“We have seen enough to know that health misinformation on Instagram is a real danger to people and can potentially cause quite a lot of harm,” Moy said.

Instagram’s growing significance as a vector for misinformation has been highlighted by researchers. A report by research firm New Knowledge described Instagram as “perhaps the most effective platform” for Russian disinformation operations, noting that “Instagram engagement outperformed Facebook” for the Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm.

Samantha Bradshaw, a researcher at the Computational Propaganda Project, believes visual content represents “the future of disinformation and fake news,” making Instagram particularly vulnerable.

“No-one has time to read a long piece containing false information anymore. People want a brief, digestible and sometimes humorous image or video carrying a specific political message,” Bradshaw explained.

While acknowledging user flagging tools as “positive steps in the right direction,” Bradshaw argues they don’t address root causes of online misinformation. “Platforms should think deeply about the broader issues that cause false content to go viral, rather than content that is true. They need to address concerns regarding their algorithms and business models.”

The power of misleading imagery on Instagram was recently demonstrated when celebrities including Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cristiano Ronaldo shared purported images of Amazon fires, generating over 14 million likes—though many of these images were later revealed to be unrelated to the current situation.

Experts believe artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in identifying misinformation, but emphasize that human judgment remains essential to the process.

“Ultimately, I expect that some aspects of identifying disinformation will be reliably covered by AI,” said Ben Nimmo, head of investigations at Graphika. “But that means training enough analysts in the first instance to be able to create a large and reliable enough dataset.”

Moy agrees that while AI can help track fake news, it cannot “replace the human judgement in a way that respects the free speech of everyone involved.”

Sharockman concluded, “We could probably get to a place where algorithms and computers can spot fake news with a high degree of certainty. But for people to believe it, we need humans to remain involved in the process.”