Post Date
Apr 19 2024

Understanding the Impact of Digital Literacy on Misinformation in Pakistan

This project aimed to answer two questions: (i) among populations with low digital literacy, how do users perceive, consume and engage with non-textual misinformation (such as audio deepfakes)? And what is the role of prior beliefs and analytical ability in forming perceptions about the accuracy of misinformation? And (ii) How can we educate users to identify non-textual misinformation (e.g., audio messages impersonating public figures). A survey and experiment for measuring the role of prior beliefs and analytical reasoning in determining beliefs about non-textual misinformation was conducted. To measure the perceived accuracy of misinformation, users were presented with news stories (true and false news presented as audio deepfakes), randomly varying the content and the personality. Finally, the researchers designed and experimentally evaluated an educational intervention for low digital literacy populations that relies on key influencers within communities to disseminate awareness messages.