Frequency of seeing false information online in the U.S. 2023, by local area

A 2023 survey revealed that almost two thirds of U.S. adults living in rural areas said they saw information they believed to be false or misleading on a daily basis. This is in contrast to 45 percent living in urban areas. As news outlets disappear from rural parts of the U.S., the risk of encountering false information can be higher as fewer official and legitimate sources equals less trustworthy reporting and greater circulation of hearsay or misreported content.