The number of New Zealanders concerned about misinformation has increased significantly, a new study shows.
65% of New Zealanders surveyed said they were either extremely or very concerned about information that is misleading or wrong, up from 59% in the previous year.
InternetNZ Chief Executive, Vivien Maidaborn, believes New Zealanders are right to be aware and worried about the rise of mis and disinformation.
“Internet users in Aotearoa deserve information that is accurate and not intended to mislead. This is a systemic issue, and there are multiple issues that the government needs to act on. The longer they leave it, the more New Zealanders will be harmed as a result,” Maidaborn said.
68% of women surveyed, and 73% of those aged 70+ were shown to be the groups most concerned, with Māori and Pasifika 60% and 65% respectively.
Maidaborn says that the perpetrators of mis and disinformation have shifted focus since the pandemic and now target marginalised groups within society.
“Since COVID, the key perpetrators of disinformation – people who spread wrong information purposefully – have worked to generalise their disinformation message from health to many other areas including the environment, parliamentary processes and democracy, race and racism.”
People aged 18-29 were the least-concerned age group, but still registered a rate of 58% either extremely or very concerned about information that is misleading or wrong.
The annual Internet Insights research encompasses a range of topics, including internet use, concerns, online safety, and Artificial Intelligence.
