Have you seen the news that Dolly Parton has vowed never to perform in New York again following the election of new left-wing mayor Zohran Mamdani? Or was it Tom Jones who said he was cancelling all future shows in New York?
It follows on from the news that Parton was on her deathbed earlier this year with country music star Reba McEntyre holding a bedside vigil.
Then Australian Robert Irwin had apparently refused to take part on a Pride round of the US version of Dancing with the Stars, and had also refused to wear at rainbow pin at an LGBTIQA+ Gala in Sydney.
One thing all of these news reports has it they are are completely untrue. And they’re just the top of the iceberg when it comes to completely fake news that is filling up people’s social media streams.
New research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) shows 72 per cent of Australian adults who used a digital platform in the first half of 2025 believe they encountered some form of misinformation on a platform.
Data from the ‘How we encounter Misinformation’ report published today indicates 64 per cent of Facebook users encountered misinformation on the platform over the six-month period, with the figure remaining consistent from the year prior.
False or misleading information about certain social groups was the most common type of misinformation in 2025. Misinformation related to conspiracy theories, health and medical topics, environmental issues, and science and technology declined from 2024.
The research also captured information about Australian adults’ experience with labels on misinformation. Of those who were exposed to misinformation, 43% reported that their most recent encounter was labelled by the platform, with an increase in those marked with ‘Created by artificial intelligence’ compared to 2024.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent), of Australian adults reported their most recent encounter with misinformation to the relevant platform (up from 20% in 2024). Following their report, 30 per cent of those who knew the outcome were told the content did not breach platform guidelines, a notable drop from 52 per cent the previous year.
The ACMA research also shows that more Instagram, X and TikTok users saw misinformation in their wall or feeds, compared to Facebook and YouTube users. YouTube users were more likely to encounter misinformation through advertisements than users on the other four platforms.
The ACMA considers the release of the research is timely to inform the Digital Industry Group’s current review of the voluntary Australian Code on Disinformation and Misinformation.
The report has been published as part of the ACMA’s Communications and media in Australia series, which explores changes in how Australians connect, interact and engage with the digital environment.
