Historical account of Misinformation

Although the issue of Fake News and Misinformation has become a topic of concern in recent years, it dates back to the 15th century, where the first known account of Misinformation has been reported.

Timeline of Misinformation

1475

The First Documented Fake News

A false accusation that Jews murdered a Christian child for ritual purposes — an early and deadly example of misinformation used to fuel hatred.

1930s

Nazi Propaganda Machine

Joseph Goebbels weaponizes mass media (radio, print, film) to spread antisemitic and pro-Nazi messaging across Germany.

2001

9/11 and the Birth of Internet Conspiracies

Within days, online forums begin spreading alternate theories about the attacks, fueling a new era of digital conspiracy culture.

2016

U.S. Presidential Elections

Russian state actors and troll farms use Facebook and Twitter to spread divisive misinformation, fake news pages, and memes → may have reached up to 126 million Americans.

2020

COVID-19 Misinformation Pandemic

Misinformation about masks, vaccines, and virus origins spreads rapidly across platforms, often outpacing scientific information → WHO calls it an "infodemic."

Now

AI Misinformation

Rise of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic text (ChatGPT, etc.) raises new concerns about scalable, believable fake content.

Try It Out