False or misleading information that is deliberately shared is called disinformation.

Foreign governments may use disinformation to serve their own interests. This can harm individuals and communities.

How to identify disinformation

When deciding whether something is disinformation, ask yourself:

• Is it from a credible source and verified by other trustworthy news sites?
• Does it use emotive language and omit facts or evidence?
• Does it have an obvious bias, or fail to consider different views? 

You should also consider whether it:

• uses simple terms or emotionally charged terms for difficult issues
• uses stereotypes without putting them in context or acknowledging them
• refers to incorrect or outdated information
• has exaggerated headings rather than focusing on facts
• misspells words or uses incorrect grammar
• includes low-quality pictures, or pictures that appear manipulated.

The eSafety Commissioner(Opens in a new tab/window) has resources available to help you identify fake news.

Disinformation about elections

Attempts to secretly influence people’s views and behaviours with disinformation can undermine the integrity of an election in Australia.

The Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce has published a fact sheet on disinformation.

More information about Australia’s federal elections can be found at Additional support page.