Study: On Facebook, fake news gets more clicks than real news

On Facebook, fake news generates more clicks than real news, according to a new study. — AFP Relaxnews

Facebook is back in the spotlight following a study highlighting the popularity of fake news on the platform. Compared to verified information, misinformation generates more clicks from users, it seems, with a higher rate of engagement, especially among the right-wing electorate.

By analysing a sample of more than 2,500 pages, researchers from New York University in the United States and the Université Grenoble Alpes in France discovered that misinformation content generated six times more engagement on Facebook than verified news stories. The study was conducted between August 2020 and January 2021, during the US presidential election period.