Misinformation Surge in Makerfield By-Election Threatens Voter Integrity

• •Misinformation targeting Makerfield voters has quadrupled, reaching 5.7% of posts.
• •Andy Burnham is the primary target of misleading narratives and AI-generated content.
• •The decline of local news outlets has led to increased reliance on social media for election information.

Ahead of the Makerfield by-election, misinformation has surged, with reports indicating a four-fold increase in misleading content targeting voters, particularly against candidate Andy Burnham. Research shows that nearly one in six posts in local groups contained misinformation, rising from 0.3% to 5.7%. This misinformation includes anti-Labour narratives and AI-generated fake news, significantly impacting public perception and trust. The Social Market Foundation's analysis highlighted that misinformation is concentrated in specific local groups, with one group seeing a rise from 0% to 6.3% of posts classified as fake news. The decline of local news outlets has exacerbated the issue, making social media a primary information source for many voters. Calls for increased moderation from social media platforms have been made to combat this trend. The situation poses a significant risk to the electoral process and public trust in democratic institutions.