In a 'misinformation' age, facts matter more than ever

This is a moment of crisis for anyone who cares about verifiable facts. They are the building blocks which ensure citizens have access to accurate information, and they help people make informed choices on the issues that matter most. Only by creating a better, less toxic information environment can free speech gain greater currency.

- CHRIS MORRIS

But dramatic changes in technology and politics have converged: we are in danger of being swept away by a deluge of false, misleading or artificially generated junk online, leaving many people either stuck in echo chambers or unsure what they can believe. Four in 10 UK adults in an Ofcom survey last year said they had encountered misinformation in the previous four weeks. Others struggle to separate fact from fiction.

At the same time, the Trump administration is rewriting the rules of American engagement around the world, and challenging Western political assumptions. Earlier this year, vice-president JD Vance came to Europe to talk about the enemy within. He described misinformation as an ugly Soviet-era word, and suggested anyone using it wanted to tell others what to think. In turn, social media platforms – run by the most powerful corporations on the planet – are responding to political pressures by backing away from commitments to work with independent fact-checkers in order to find and expose information that causes real-world harm.

Let’s be clear: checking the facts doesn’t restrict debate; it strengthens it by grounding it in truth. It’s certainly not censorship, as Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg claimed in an abrupt about-turn at the beginning of this year. Verifying facts adds important context to complex conversations, and it creates more speech, not less. By that standard, even Vice-President Vance should approve.