The share of people aged 16-74 who verified information found online in the previous 3 months was largest in the Netherlands (45%), followed by Luxembourg (41%) and Ireland (39%). However, the smallest share was recorded in Lithuania (11%), followed by Romania (12%) and Poland (16%).

12 comments

1. In 2021, 47% of all people aged 16-74 years in the EU saw untrue or doubtful information on news websites or social media during the 3 months prior to the survey. However, only around a quarter (23%) of people verified the truthfulness of the information or content.

   The share of people aged 16-74 years old who verified information found on online news sites or social media in the previous 3 months was largest in the Netherlands (45%), followed by Luxembourg (41%) and Ireland (39%).

   However, the smallest share was recorded in Lithuania (11%), followed by Romania (12%) and Poland (16%).

   In the EU, people aged 16-74 years old primarily checked if the information was truthful by checking the sources or finding other information on the internet (20%). People also checked information by discussing it with other persons offline, or using sources not on the internet (12%).

   The least popular method was checking by following or taking part in an internet discussion regarding the information (7%).

2. [Source](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20211216-3).

3. I am worried about the use of the word “verified”. Yes, the graph sort of matches expectations, but on the other hand you can easily find something that verifies just about anything, from Flat Earth to Climate Denial, with just a quick google. Joys of the “Information Age”.

4. Of course Lithuania has to be at the bottom. No wonder paranoia is gripping them over there.

5. Verified how? With fact check websites? Anti-vaxx denies them completely. Gotta use more methods.

6. Italy is not even sampled because people here blindly trust anything they read.

7. Jesus fuck, Germany …

8. The linked meta data explaining this survey is ironic…

   https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/metadata/en/404.htm

9. Explains Germany and my country

10. In defence of Germany, at least the number of people getting their news from Social Media in the first place is pretty low as well. And traditional news tend to fare a bit better. But still, I would like to see that verification number higher.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/718019/social-media-news-source/

11. Verifying information, checking the source and the sort could prove very useful in combating misinformation. Also, I honestly believe that this is one of those things which could be solved with a 5 second infomercial on TV.

12. I would verify this “data”. We do not even know how they collected it.

    Ok, so I just checked the source and their info on information they collect, and it is clear they are unable to explain how they created this table.