FACT CHECK #SM2ASTED

WHAT WE FOUND

A comprehensive study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published in the journal Science, found that false news stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted on Twitter than true stories 1 3 8. The research tracked approximately 126,000 stories shared by 3 million people from 2006 to 2017, concluding that falsehoods reached 1,500 people six times faster than the truth 1 2 10. This phenomenon was observed across all categories of information, though false political news often spread the most rapidly 4 7. Researchers emphasized that this spread is primarily driven by human behavior rather than automated bots, as users are more likely to share novel or emotionally charged misinformation 3 6 9. Even when controlling for account variables such as follower count or verification status, the 70% greater likelihood of retweeting falsehoods remained consistent 7.

SOURCES

1. 1 · news.mit.eduACADEMIC
   Study: On Twitter, false news travels faster than true stories | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

   TIER A

2. 2 · pbs.orgACADEMIC
   False news travels 6 times faster on Twitter than truthful news | PBS News

   TIER A

3. 3 · science.orgACADEMIC
   Fake news spreads faster than true news on Twitter—thanks to people, not bots | Science | AAAS

   TIER A

4. 4 · reuters.comACADEMIC
   False news 70 percent more likely to spread on Twitter - study | Reuters

   TIER A

5. 5 · blogs.cornell.eduACADEMIC
   False News Stories Are 70% More Likely To Be Retweeted On Twitter Than True Ones : Networks Course blog for INFO 2040/CS 2850/Econ 2040/SOC 2090

   TIER A

6. 6 · mitsloan.mit.eduACADEMIC
   Study: False news spreads faster than the truth | MIT Sloan

   TIER A

7. 7 · theatlantic.comACADEMIC
   Huge MIT Study of ‘Fake News’: Falsehoods Win on Twitter - The Atlantic

   TIER A

8. 8 · bbc.comACADEMIC
   Fake news 'travels faster', study finds

   TIER A

9. 9 · sciencenews.orgACADEMIC
   On Twitter, the lure of fake news is stronger than the truth

   TIER A

10. 10 · npr.orgNEWS
    Can You Believe It? On Twitter, False Stories Are Shared More Widely Than True Ones : All Tech Considered : NPR

    TIER A