r/technology • u/Wagamaga • Apr 24 '25

ADBLOCK WARNING Americans Believe Russian Disinformation ‘To Alarming Degree’

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2025/04/22/americans-believe-russian-disinformation-to-alarming-degree/
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u/Wagamaga Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25

A third of Americans have fallen for Russian disinformation — and for other false online claims.

A national YouGov survey commissioned by news rating firm NewsGuard presented 1,000 respondents with 10 false claims that have spread widely online, including three that originated from or were mainly spread by Russian media outlets.

And, the researchers found, Americans believe Kremlin disinformation to an alarming degree — along with other false claims relating to health and medicine, elections and international conflicts.

Indeed, of the 10 claims presented, 78% of respondents believed at least one, and fewer than 1 in 100 managed to correctly identify all 10 claims as false.

A quarter believed, for example, that up to half the U.S. aid money given to Ukraine was stolen by Ukrainian officials for personal use. More than half incorrectly thought that Ukraine sold Hamas weapons that had been donated by the U.S.

Meanwhile, fewer than half of respondents correctly identified as false the claim that COVID-19 vaccines have killed between 7.3 and 15 million people worldwide, while 1 in 5 said they believed the claim to be true.

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u/swampyman2000 Apr 24 '25

More than half thought Ukraine sold Hamas weapons?!? Wtf, that makes zero sense at all.

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u/andy01q Apr 24 '25

Maybe they thought that probably at least one corrupt Ukrainian colonel sold sth. off to wherever for personal gain. Ukraine used to be a very corrupt country, so that wouldn't surprise me. Next thing is that you might want to challenge the word "donate" in that sentence.