Misinformation Widespread Ahead of 2025 Federal Election, Study Finds

A new report reveals that 60% of Australian adults encountered election misinformation in the two weeks before the 2025 federal election, highlighting growing concerns about the impact of false information on democratic processes.

The study found many Australians feel overwhelmed by the prevalence of misinformation and lack confidence in their ability to distinguish fact from fiction. Only 41% of adults reported feeling confident they could verify online information, while just 40% believed they could determine whether a social media post was trustworthy.

This lack of confidence correlates with heightened anxiety, with 73% of respondents expressing concern about the spread of false election information. Perhaps more troubling is how this uncertainty affects civic engagement – when confronted with suspected misinformation, 44% of people simply ignore it, while only 25% attempt to verify the facts.

Researchers attribute this behavior to what experts call “political burnout.” Even individuals with the skills to verify information often choose not to apply those skills, preferring instead to disengage from content that creates information uncertainty.

“The pervasive nature of election misinformation could be turning people away from democratic institutions and processes,” the report notes, suggesting broader implications for political participation.

The study tested respondents’ ability to identify misinformation by presenting five false social media posts from the election campaign, selected by professional fact-checkers. For political balance, two posts contained misinformation about the Labor Party, two about the Liberal-National coalition, and one was politically neutral.

Results showed many participants either incorrectly identified the posts or were unsure, with accurate identification rates ranging from just 43% to 58%. Notably, between 16% and 34% of respondents selected “unsure” across the examples, further confirming a pattern of political disengagement.

Political leaning significantly influenced respondents’ ability to identify misinformation. Left-leaning participants were much more likely to correctly identify misinformation about Labor (67% and 80%) than similar falsehoods about the coalition (30% and 51%). Conversely, right-leaning respondents more accurately identified misinformation targeting the coalition (61% and 55%) than Labor (39% and 45%).

“Perceptions of misinformation are strongly tied to one’s beliefs and identity,” the researchers explained. “People can still believe false information even if it contradicts factual knowledge, because acceptance is mentally easier than rejection.”

The study found a crucial connection between access to quality news and resistance to misinformation. Regular news consumers feel more empowered to participate in politics and are less vulnerable to false information. Similarly, those who have received media literacy education demonstrate better abilities to identify and respond to misinformation.

Despite the challenges, the report offers several recommendations to combat the problem. First, it calls for a legal and regulatory environment that enables proactive measures against misinformation, including greater transparency from digital platforms about audience targeting.

Second, it emphasizes the need to amplify factual, quality information from trusted sources to counteract misinformation. Finally, it advocates for improved media literacy education – a significant need given that 51% of respondents reported never having received such training.

The Australian public appears to support stronger interventions, with 70% favoring government restrictions on false social media information, even if such measures limit freedom to publish and access information. Even more striking, 83% support implementing national truth in advertising laws.

The findings come as the federal government develops a National Media Literacy Strategy, a timely initiative given the challenges revealed by this research.