UNESCO says social media influencers share information without fact-checking

Social media influencers required  urgent help to verify their facts before they broadcast to their followers, with the view to reduce the spread of misinformation online, United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) warned.

The Unesco report said that two-thirds of content creators fail to varify the authenticity of their material, making them and their followers vulnerable to misinformation.

The findings revealed at a critical moment when social media influencers have become primary sources of news and cultural information for global audiences, yet 62 per cent lack basic fact-checking practices.

“Digital content creators have acquired an important place in the information ecosystem, engaging millions of people with cultural, social or political news. But many are struggling in the face of disinformation and online hate speech and calling for more training,” Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Unesco’s “behind the screens” survey, conducted with expertise from Bowling Green State University in the USA, examined 500 influencers across 45 countries, exposing critical gaps in content verification practices.