Poll Finds Widespread Difficulty in Spotting Election Misinformation Ahead of 2025 Vote

Nearly two-thirds of Australian adults encountered election misinformation during the two weeks preceding the 2025 federal election, according to a newly released report. The study reveals widespread frustration among Australians who feel overwhelmed by false information while lacking the necessary tools to combat it.

The report indicates that only 41 percent of adults feel confident in their ability to verify online information, and even fewer—just 40 percent—believe they can determine whether social media posts are trustworthy. This lack of confidence correlates with heightened concern, as 73 percent of respondents expressed worry about the spread of false election information.

Researchers found that when confronted with suspected misinformation, Australians are far more likely to simply ignore it (44 percent) than attempt to fact-check it (25 percent). This pattern of disengagement suggests that the pervasive nature of election misinformation may be eroding public trust in democratic institutions and processes.

Political burnout appears to be a significant factor in this disengagement. Even when people have the skills to verify questionable claims, they often choose not to exercise these abilities. Instead, those troubled by information uncertainty frequently disengage from political discourse altogether.

The study tested participants’ ability to identify misinformation by presenting them with five examples of false information that circulated on social media during the election campaign. For political balance, two examples targeted the Labor Party, two targeted the Liberal-National Coalition, and one was politically neutral.

Results revealed a significant gap between professional fact-checkers and ordinary citizens in identifying misinformation. The proportion of respondents who correctly identified false information ranged from just 43 to 58 percent across the five examples. Notably, misinformation targeting Labor had higher rates of accurate identification (48 and 58 percent), while the non-partisan example had the lowest recognition rate at 43 percent.

The study also highlighted substantial differences based on political affiliation. Left-leaning respondents were much more likely to identify misinformation about Labor (67 and 80 percent) than content targeting the Coalition (30 and 51 percent). Similarly, right-leaning participants more readily identified misinformation about the Coalition (61 and 55 percent) than Labor (39 and 45 percent).

“Perceptions of misinformation are strongly tied to one’s beliefs and identity,” the researchers noted. “People can still believe false information even if it contradicts factual knowledge.” This occurs because accepting information requires less cognitive effort than rejecting it, particularly when the information aligns with existing beliefs.

The research established a crucial correlation between access to quality news and the ability to verify information. Regular news consumers demonstrated greater resilience against misinformation and reported feeling more empowered to participate in political processes. Similarly, those with media literacy education showed enhanced ability to identify false information and respond appropriately.

Despite these findings, over half of respondents (51 percent) reported never having received any media literacy education, highlighting a significant gap in Australia’s information ecosystem.

The researchers propose three key strategies to combat misinformation. First, they recommend strengthening the legal and regulatory environment to enable proactive measures against false information, including requiring digital platforms to be transparent about their targeting practices. Second, they suggest amplifying factual, quality information from trusted sources. Finally, they advocate for improved media literacy education to help Australians confidently identify and respond to misinformation.

The Australian public has expressed strong support for government intervention, with 70 percent of respondents backing restrictions on false information on social media, even at the cost of some freedom to publish. An even larger majority—83 percent—support the implementation of national truth in advertising laws.

As misinformation continues to pose challenges to Australia’s democratic processes, the federal government’s development of a National Media Literacy Strategy represents a timely response to these concerns.