About half of New Zealanders have at least one belief based on misinformation and one in five hold at least three false beliefs.
False information is widespread in Aotearoa, according to a new survey of 2300 New Zealanders. Photo: Kajetan Sumila/ Unsplash
That's according to a new survey by the Chief Censor's office.
The Edge of the Infodemic: Challenging Misinformation in Aotearoa found 82 percent of those surveyed were worried about the spread of misinformation.
About 75 percent thought false information about Covid-19 posed a serious threat to New Zealand.
Chief Censor David Shanks said the research aimed to raise awareness and stimulate debate on how to address false information.
"We know that misinformation - at its worst - can cause real harms to individuals, whānau, communities and society," Shanks said.
"We've seen it in white supremacy groups, the riots at the US Capitol, and in our own backyard with the attacks on 5G towers.
"We must take the findings of this report and meet this moment with meaningful action, because New Zealanders are telling us this matters."
Addressing misinformation did not mean "telling people what to think, or stifling debate with more censorship", he said.
"But Kiwis want to know they can trust the news and information they're getting, and government can work together with communities to combat misinformation.
"We must look at better ways for government, community, and online platforms to come together to prevent harm."
Among the 2300 people surveyed, false beliefs included believing scientists were lying about the safety of vaccines, believing 5G communications caused Covid-19, and that climate change was not caused by human activity.
The internet played a key role in spreading false facts, the survey found.
Key findings
- 82 percent were somewhat or very concerned about the spread of misinformation in New Zealand
- 79 percent got news or information from social media
- 84 percent expressed support for specific groups or organisations to take action against misinformation
- 50 percent expressed some belief in at least one statement associated with misinformation
- 31 percent believed in at least two statements associated with misinformation
- 19 percent believed in at least three statements associated with misinformation