- Facebook users create the highest level of daily disinformation posts (1 billion posts)
- X has the highest proportion of disinformation actors (8.7% of all active users)
- LinkedIn has the most rampant disinformation actors (each creating 6.6 posts per day)
- Instagram and YouTube produce the least amount of daily disinformation
ID Crypt Global has analysed data from Code of Practice on Disinformation report from TrustLab to understand the rate at which disinformation is being spread through the six main social media platforms - Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube - before conducting its own analysis estimating how many disinformation posts are being created each day, and which platforms are most responsible for the spread of fake news and media.
The most recent available data* estimates that there are an estimated total of 10.5 billion social media users across the six main platforms.
Facebook boasts the most users with 3 billion people logging onto the platform each month. Facebook is followed by YouTube (2.5bn), Instagram (2bn), TikTok (1.5bn), LinkedIn (771m), and X (619m).
1.5bn fake news posts created or shared every day on social media
Across all platforms, it is estimated that 5% of users are disinformation actors, which means all in all, there are 516 million users actively spreading fake news and media.
It is estimated that each disinformation actor creates an average of 3.9 posts per day, meaning that across all platforms, 1.5 billion pieces of disinformation are created or shared every single day.
Facebook and X host highest volume of disinformation content
ID Crypt’s research reveals that Facebook creates the most pieces of fake news.
It is estimated that disinformation actors account for 7.8% of all of the platform’s users and that each of them creates an average of 4.3 daily posts. This means Facebook alone is responsible for over one billion fake news posts every single day.
When it comes to the highest proportion of users being disinformation actors, X is the worst platform.
8.7% of all X users are disinformation actors and each of them is creating 3.8 daily posts. This means the hugely influential platform is spreading 205 million fake news posts every single day.