Dis- and Misinformation A Threat to Democracy in Today’s Digital World?

This chapter investigates the prevalence, drivers, and consequences of mis- and disinformation using survey data from 18 countries, web tracking evidence from five countries, qualitative discussions across age groups, and experimental interventions. Across countries and platforms, citizens report frequent encounters with false and misleading information, often accompanied by concerns about democratic functioning. Web tracking analyses show that factual misperceptions in the topics investigated are associated with right-wing ideological identification and greater consumption of right-leaning media, indicating that misperceptions are embedded in broader ideological and media environments rather than reflecting simple informational deficits. Qualitative findings reveal broad agreement across age groups and countries that political and financial motives drive the spread of false information, while younger participants additionally highlight AI-enabled content and psychological consequences. Experimental results provide cautious optimism: fact-checks robustly improve accuracy judgments across countries and sources, and news literacy messages show smaller but meaningful effects. However, challenges remain regarding the reach and perceived neutrality of these interventions.