Online election information: is it a scam or reputable and current?

Living in the digital age, it can sometimes be difficult to tell what’s true and what’s not. During an election, when Australians aged 18 and over vote to choose who will form the government, there is even more information shared online and in the news. That’s why it’s important to stop and check whether information is accurate before believing it or sharing it with others.

According to the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce, an Australian Government group that helps protect our democracy* from interference, there are two important types of false information to understand.

Misinformation is false or incorrect information that is shared by mistake. The person sharing it may believe it is true and has no intention* of misleading others.

Disinformation is false information that is created or shared on purpose to trick people, influence what they think, or hide the truth.

Both can be spread by individuals, groups or organisations to influence politics and public opinion. With so much false information circulating* so freely, it’s very important to think carefully about what you see online and check whether information comes from a trustworthy source before sharing it.

Accuracy* is important because it helps people make good decisions, take part in their community and work together to help protect our democracy. When people have true and reliable* information, they can understand what is happening, make informed choices and help keep leaders accountable.* False or misleading information can confuse people, damage trust and cause disagreements in communities.

Professor Michael Dezuanni, from the Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Centre, said elections are times when misinformation and persuasion are used a lot because people are trying to get other people to vote for their party.

“Unfortunately, sometimes this goes too far and people distort* facts or only tell part of the story,” Prof Dezuanni said. “This can be a big problem, because our democracy relies on people being able to make decisions based on high quality information.”

Sometimes, people or companies are paid to promote ideas online without clearly saying who they are working for. Some people may use automated accounts, called bots, to make a political message or hashtag seem more popular than it really is.

Prof Dezuanni said if you suspect an election claim may be false or exaggerated, you can crosscheck the information to see what other people are saying about it.

“Check other news sources, or search online to see what you can learn about the issue,” he said. “See if a member of the other party has a different perspective*.”

One way to check if election information is trustworthy is to visit the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website. The AEC keeps a disinformation register, which lists false or misleading claims it has identified about Australia’s electoral process.

The AEC encourages everyone to ask three simple questions when they see information about an election: Is it reputable? Is it current? Is it a scam?

First, think about who created the information. Has it come from a trusted person or organisation? If an election has been called and a message is trying to influence the way people vote, it must include an authorisation statement saying who is responsible for it. If you see a political advertisement on social media, click the three dots (called an ellipsis) to find out who paid for it. It may also be labelled “Sponsored” or “Paid for by…”.

Next, check when the information was published. Older posts may not include the latest facts or updates. Whenever possible, find the original source and look at the publication date to make sure the information is still accurate.

Finally, take a closer look at the account sharing the information. Is it a real person or organisation, or could it be a fake account or an automated bot? You can learn more by checking the account’s profile, looking at its previous posts and seeing whether it has a genuine history and audience. These clues can help you decide whether the information is trustworthy.

POLL

GLOSSARY

democracy: a system of government where power belongs to the people

intention: a plan or aim to do something

circulating: to pass from person to person or to spread widely

accuracy: being correct or exact

reliable: dependable, trustworthy, and consistently good

accountable: being responsible for your actions and answerable to others

distort: to twist out of shape or misrepresent the truth

perspective: a point of view or a way of thinking about things

EXTRA READING

Part 7: Gaming chats and group DMs

Part 8: Being scam savvy

Part 9: Your data, your rules

QUICK QUIZ

What is the main difference between misinformation and disinformation?

What are two ways you can check if information online is trustworthy?

What are the three simple questions you should ask yourself when you see information about an election online or on social media?

What is an authorisation statement?

How can you check if a social media account is not an automated bot?

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