UC Berkeley study finds cutting misinformation on Facebook and Instagram did not shift political beliefs
A large‑scale experiment conducted during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, led by UC Berkeley political‑science Ph.D. student Olivier Bergeron‑Boutin in partnership with Meta, reduced participants' exposure to untrustworthy sources on Facebook and Instagram by roughly 70%. While the feed change was successful, the study observed no measurable impact on users' political attitudes or core beliefs, even among those previously exposed to the most misinformation.
The analysis also revealed that misinformation exposure is highly concentrated: about 23% of Facebook users and 11% of Instagram users accounted for roughly 80% of all untrustworthy‑source content. Researchers emphasized that algorithmic tweaks alone are insufficient to alter deeply rooted political views, which are reinforced by broader social networks.
Findings were published in Science Advances and suggest that combating political polarization will require approaches beyond merely adjusting social‑media feeds.
Entities: Facebook · Instagram · Meta Platforms · Olivier Bergeron‑Boutin · United States
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- [● 3 SOURCES] The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The experiment was conducted during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 23% of Facebook users accounted for roughly 80% of exposure to untrustworthy sources. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 11% of Instagram users accounted for roughly 80% of exposure to untrustworthy sources. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The reduction in exposure did not produce measurable changes in participants' political beliefs or attitudes. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Misinformation consumption is concentrated among a small subset of users on both platforms. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Researchers reduced participants' exposure to untrustworthy sources on Facebook and Instagram by about 70%. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The study was led by UC Berkeley Ph.D. student Olivier Bergeron‑Boutin in collaboration with Meta. (Bergeron‑Boutin et al.)