404: Reliable Information not found - Disinformation about the war in the Ukraine

Social media platforms have repeatedly pledged to fight Ukraine-related misinformation. However, ISD’s previous research has found that misinformation and conspiratorial narratives are some of the most popular content about the war.

To further test the platforms’ performance in prioritising reliable sources and demoting content sympathetic to the Kremlin’s war, ISD analysed a sample of search results for the word “Ukraine” across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in four languages. The exercise was designed to simulate the information users in different countries are likely to find when looking for updates and news about the situation in Ukraine.

This research evaluates the performance of three social media platforms in surfacing reliable news about the war in Ukraine. Using a methodology of searching the keyword ‘Ukraine’ and analysing the top results, ISD found that pro-Kremlin accounts, along with unverified sources, were highly ranked on both Facebook and Twitter. Only YouTube appears to be uplifting media sources and verified profiles.

Read ISD Global’s research results