What to do if you see misinformation spreading online & what to do if you share it

COVID-19 isn't the only thing that spreads - false claims are being shared almost every minute online.

With misinformation & disinformation constantly being posted, shared & spread online - this page gives you the basics on what to do if you come across a false, misleading or unproven claim online.

We'll also tell you what to do if you unknowingly spread a false claim online.

Read all our tips below:

Ask some questions

It's important to not always believe a claim at face value - so make sure you ask some basic questions about what you've read/seen, such as:

• Who posted it?

• What are their views/political leanings?

• Why would they post it?

• What is their source?

Find multiple sources

Check to see if anyone else is making the claim, or if it's being reported by the media.

You can look for the latter through a simple Google search, or just look up keywords on the social media platform of your choosing.

Look for evidence

Has the person just posted a statement on its own, or have they added supposed evidence to it?

Does the evidence look credible or come from trusted sources?

Tip us off

If you send us a message on social media or email contact@6newsau.com, we'll do our best to investigate the claim & figure out the truth.

While there are many outlets that do fact-checking, we can assure you we are completely independent (this is where our funding comes from) and 100% unbiased.

You can see our fact-checking articles & videos here.

Don't share it

Do not share, repost or retweet the claim once you've determined that it is false, misleading or unproven - and if you have already done that, undo or delete it.

Depending the platform & how the comment was made, make sure you remove the post as well so others don't share it.

If you personally shared the claim, the same applies - delete your post.

Inform others

Let those who've believed the claim know the truth, and share fact-checking articles (preferably ours) with them.

At the bottom of all our articles are several buttons - click them to share the article that you're reading (just like this one).