KATHMANDU: A new study has found that 87 percent of misinformation spread during Nepal’s House of Representatives election held on March 5 circulated through social media platforms.
The research report, published on Tuesday by the Center for Media Research (CMR), identified social media as the dominant channel for the dissemination of false information during the election period.
At an event marking the release of the report, CMR Executive Director Tilak Pathak said Facebook was the single largest platform for spreading misinformation.
The study also found that artificial intelligence-generated content was the second major source of misinformation. While most of such content was distributed via social media, some was also circulated through other channels.
Researchers documented widespread use of fabricated videos, contextually distorted content, recycled footage presented as new events, and AI-generated visuals during the election period.
Pathak noted that although AI is an emerging tool in content creation, social media platforms—especially Facebook—remain the primary vehicles for misinformation spread. He added that despite fact-checking efforts, the lack of adequate tools to detect AI-edited videos has made verification increasingly difficult.
The study also highlighted that some journalistic content inadvertently contributed to the spread of misinformation, although such material was later fact-checked.
According to the report, although the Election Commission, media organizations, civil society groups, political parties and candidates attempted to counter misinformation, their efforts were not sufficient to contain its spread.
It further noted that some misleading posts were removed after verification, but tracking and confirming such content remained challenging due to rapid deletion on social media platforms.
The report also mentioned that the Election Commission coordinated with Meta to remove certain misleading content after fact-checking during the election period.
CMR has recommended the government establish a rapid response mechanism ahead of future elections, introduce a legal framework to ensure accountability of social media platforms, and treat misinformation as an early indicator of potential conflict requiring timely intervention.
Comment