Social media: majority against the spread of fake news and threats of violence

A survey conducted in ten countries shows that a majority is against the spread of threats of violence and fake news.

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Feb 11, 2025 at 8:51 pm CET

3 min. read

By

Tom Leon Zacharek

A majority of people are against the spread of fake news and threats of violence on social media, according to an international survey conducted by the Technical University of Munich and the University of Oxford in ten countries with more than 13,500 participants. However, there is no clear international opinion on who should be responsible for a balanced online environment. The values for individual questions included in the survey, entitled "Public attitudes to content moderation and freedom of expression", differ greatly from country to country in some cases.

In Germany, respondents attribute little responsibility to citizens in terms of taking action against hate speech (11%) and promoting a balanced online environment (17%). They tend to see platform operators and the state as having a duty and a better position. In Germany, however, the prioritization of freedom of expression (79%) and the ability to disseminate false information (51%) is rated comparatively highly.

Diagram False information — Percentage of people in individual countries in favor of a ban on speech glorifying violence.

(Image: TU München u. a. (Screenshot))

The results

The survey shows that 79% of respondents believe that threats of violence should be removed from social media. When asked whether news deemed false by the government should be allowed to be disseminated, only 44% of respondents answered yes. However, when it came to restricting hate speech, only 45% thought that regulating it was the right way to go.

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The large differences between the results of the individual countries are striking. In France, for example, 69% believe that hate speech can only be restricted if it is regulated, but only 32% in Sweden feel the same way. There is also a large discrepancy when it comes to fake news. In Greece, for example, 59% are in favor of users being allowed to post it, but only 31% of participants in the survey from the UK share this view.

The survey was conducted in six European countries as well as the USA, Brazil, South Africa and Australia. Around 1,300 people per country were surveyed in the fall of 2024.

Diagram of countries against hate speech — Percentage of people in individual countries who are in favor of spreading misinformation, even if the government disapproves.

(Image: TU München u. a. (Screenshot))

The question of responsibility and freedom of expression

The respondents' view of responsibility for a secure online environment was very balanced. For example, 35% see companies as having a duty, 31% the citizens themselves and 30% the government. The situation is somewhat clearer when it comes to the group best positioned to take action against hate speech. Here, 43% say that companies are best placed to take action against it, 19% see citizens in a better position and 25% the government.

When weighing up the protection of freedom of expression against the damage it can cause, there is no clear consensus between the participating nations. By way of comparison, Sweden achieved a score of 37.4 on a scale where 0 means protecting freedom of expression and 100 means protecting it from the harm it can cause. South Africa achieves a score of 56.3.