Fake news and misinformation

Sometimes stories, scenes and sounds are completely made up or altered so they seem real.

Check if what you see is real, fake or a deepfake.

• Does the photo look real, or could it have been 'photoshopped' or altered using an app or software?
• Does the photo have blurring, cropped effects or pixilation (small box-like shapes), particularly around the mouth, eyes and neck?
• If a person is shown, is their skin all the same colour and texture?
• Does the video have glitches, sections of lower quality, or changes in the lighting or background? 
• Does the video have badly synced (mismatching) sound?
• Is there irregular or random blinking or any movement that seems unnatural?
• Are there any gaps in the storyline or speech?

If in doubt, remember to question the context. Ask yourself if it is what you would expect that person to say or do, in that place, at that time.
 

Use critical thinking to question what you read, see and hear.

Here are some tips:

• Select well-respected information outlets to find out news, such as major national or state media services and government websites.
• Think about other points of view when reading information.
• Double check information by doing your own web searches.
• Do a reverse image search to help you decide if a news photo (or profile picture) is fake – you may find it elsewhere online with a different name or description. You can use Bing, Google Images or another reverse image search site such as TinEye. Google’s ‘About this image’ feature can also provide more information about where an image was first used and how other sites have used it. This can be helpful for checking if a photo has been taken out of context to create a fake identity or situation.
• Think about whether an attention-grabbing headline is ‘clickbait’. This is a link that takes you to information that is misleading or not as interesting as it seemed in the headline. Usually clickbait is designed to show you a page with lots of advertising.
• Watch out for scams set up to steal your money or personal information.
• Use a website designed to check facts, such as factcheck.org or snopes.com.
• Be careful about anyone online who tries to force their own ideas onto you. For example, they may be pressuring you to do things you would not normally do, promoting violent ideas, or trying to convince you to go against your family or friends.  
• If you can’t ignore someone pressuring or harassing you online, you may be able to use the settings in the app or site or on your device to help mute or hide their comments or messages, unfriend or unfollow them, or report and block them.

REMEMBER: Don’t share information, images or videos that seem fake or misleading.

Help children to understand what they see and hear.  

• Talk to children about checking the credibility of their sources – eSafety has tips for primary school children in our Kids page How do I know if something is fake and for older children in our Young People page Fake news.
• Use the simple explanations in the Misinformation glossary to start a conversation about untrue and misleading information.
• Teach good habits and critical thinking skills, to help children make sense of the information they see and hear.
• Check the safety, security and privacy settings on children’s devices, games and apps and make sure they are set at an age-appropriate level.
• Encourage children to think about the motive of the person who wrote or posted the information. Are they trying to influence what people believe? If so, why?
• Suggest children talk to trusted friends, family and other people in their community to see what they think about a subject.
• Encourage children to read, watch and listen to positive stories as well as negative ones.