Disinformation Patterns in Spain: A 2022 Analysis

What is this article about?

This article explains the main patterns of disinformation in Spain based on a 2022 analysis of 729 debunked hoaxes by the fact-checking platform Maldita.es. According to the study by Blanco-Herrero, Castillo-Abdul, and Romero-Rodríguez, the most common disinformation themes include social issues and politics, often spread via Twitter and text-based formats.

What are the predominant topics in Spanish disinformation?

According to the research, 40.7% of hoaxes focused on social issues like crime, education, and coexistence. Another 37.2% were political in nature, frequently tied to polarization and attacks on public figures or parties. Health-related hoaxes (11.5%)—especially around vaccines—still played a role, though less than in the pandemic’s peak.

Who spreads fake news in Spain?

Main Findings:

• 66.8% of hoax creators were unidentifiable.

• When known, social media profiles (12.3%) and pseudo-journalists were the most common sources.

• Traditional politicians and parties accounted for only 1% of the hoax creation, despite public perception suggesting otherwise.

This article explains that disinformation is largely amplified by anonymous accounts, and not necessarily initiated by known figures.

How is fake content spread?

Format Breakdown

• Text-based misinformation dominates (63%), often accompanied by memes or videos.

• Videos and manipulated images are gaining prominence with AI-generated content like deepfakes.

Platform Analysis

• Twitter is the leading platform for spread (67.4%), likely due to its open-access and high visibility format.

• Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok follow, but at much lower rates.

Why is it important?

Fake news can spread six times faster than real news. According to the research, 57.6% of hoaxes analyzed in 2022 could potentially incite hate speech, particularly against immigrants and vulnerable groups. This has implications for both public discourse and social cohesion.

How is this applied to fact-checking?

Fact-checking remains a crucial tool, but its effectiveness depends on:

• Platform algorithms

• User trust in the fact-checker

• Alignment with prior beliefs

According to the study, Maldita.es focuses on hoaxes with high virality and potential harm, making it an effective but non-exhaustive snapshot of Spain’s disinformation landscape.

FAQs

Q: What were the main topics of disinformation in Spain in 2022?
A: Social issues (40.7%) and political content (37.2%) were the most frequent.

Q: Which platform spread the most fake news?
A: Twitter, with 67.4% of hoaxes appearing there.

Q: Who creates most disinformation?
A: Most creators are anonymous; known sources are usually social media accounts or pseudo-media.

Q: How are these hoaxes formatted?
A: Predominantly as texts, often paired with misleading images or videos.