Restricting Online Sharing Could Combat Misinformation, Experts Suggest

Social media platforms are exploring a simple yet powerful method to combat the spread of misinformation: adding small barriers to make sharing content slightly more difficult, according to new research from the University of Copenhagen.

While platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X have designed sharing functionality to be seamless with just a click, this frictionless design may be contributing to the rapid spread of false information. Studies have consistently shown that misinformation spreads faster on social media than factual content, partly because platform algorithms tend to amplify sensational posts that generate high engagement.

The new study, published in the journal npj Complexity, suggests a straightforward solution to this growing problem. “Our idea is to introduce a small pause in the sharing process to make people reflect on what they’re sharing before clicking the button,” explains lead author Laura Jahn, a PhD student involved in the research alongside Professor Vincent F. Hendricks.

The researchers developed a computer model simulating information flow across platforms like X, Bluesky, and Mastodon. Their findings indicate that introducing small digital frictions—such as pop-up messages—can effectively reduce impulsive content sharing behaviors that often fuel misinformation campaigns.

However, the team discovered that simply reducing sharing volume alone doesn’t necessarily improve content quality. To address this limitation, they enhanced their model with an educational component that users encounter before sharing posts.

“It could be a pop-up with a short quiz asking questions like: How is misinformation defined, and what does this social media platform do to limit fake news?” Hendricks explains. “The idea is that this learning element will prompt users to reflect on their behavior and share fewer problematic posts.”

The results are promising. When friction was combined with educational elements, the average quality of shared content increased significantly according to the model’s predictions.

This research comes at a critical time as social media platforms face mounting pressure from regulators, advertisers, and users to address the spread of false information. Major platforms have experimented with various interventions in recent years, including warning labels and reducing the visibility of disputed content, but misinformation continues to flourish online.

The approach proposed by the Danish researchers represents a behavioral design solution that doesn’t require complex content moderation systems or artificial intelligence to implement. Instead, it leverages basic principles of human psychology to encourage more thoughtful engagement.

The researchers now aim to test their model’s predictions in real-world settings. “We hope our proposal will inspire tech giants to think innovatively in the fight against misinformation. They could help us test the promising computer model to see whether engagement with low-quality content decreases and whether users become better at recognizing misinformation in real situations,” say Jahn and Hendricks.

If partnerships with major platforms prove difficult, the team plans to utilize research-focused simulated platforms to gather empirical data on their intervention’s effectiveness.

The study was conducted at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Information and Bubble Studies, which specializes in researching information ecosystems and cognitive biases in digital environments.

As social media continues to play an increasingly central role in how people consume news and information, finding practical, implementable solutions to misinformation remains a critical challenge for platforms, researchers, and society at large.