During the height of the 2016 campaign, Twitter users shared more “misinformation, polarizing and conspiratorial content,” than actual news stories, an Oxford University study released Thursday says.
Researchers found that voters on Twitter shared large amounts of content linked to Russia, Wikileaks and other “junk news sources,” with the help of bots — automated Twitter accounts, programmed to simple tasks like spread news.
The study also found that levels of misinformation on Twitter were higher on average in swing states than in than in uncontested states. Researchers culled the information from 22,117,221 tweets collected between Nov. 1 and Nov. 11.
The findings come as federal investigators press major technology firms including Twitter and Facebook for more details on how Russian actors used their platforms to potentially influence the 2016 election.
On Thursday, Twitter briefed Senate and House Intelligence Committee members and staff on its findings in regard to foreign actors using the platform during the elections. The social media company revealed 201 accounts it found that were linked to Russian actors.
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Study: Twitter users shared more fake news than real news during 2016 election https://t.co/EEvfHGZirU pic.twitter.com/7HWuNDmoPW
— The Hill (@thehill) September 28, 2017
201? That's all? | Twitter finds hundreds of accounts tied to Russian operativeshttps://t.co/YALvveH2fy
— Cerise (@misscherryjones) September 28, 2017
Add several zeros. https://t.co/mIVVwBf3pL
— John Schindler (@20committee) September 28, 2017
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