Ahead of the upcoming Makerfield by-election, a concerning surge in digital deception has emerged, with misinformation on local Facebook groups increasing four-fold since the campaign began. New research from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) reveals that nearly one in six news items shared within these digital communities is false, a dramatic spike from the historic average of 0.3 per cent to 5.7 per cent. Analysts suggest that the high profile of candidate Andy Burnham has turned the region into a focal point for coordinated disinformation, as bad actors attempt to influence a contest with significant national implications.
The SMF analysis, which scrutinized thousands of posts across four key local Facebook groups, identified a distinct political bias in the false content. With the exception of a few unrelated 5G conspiracy theories, almost all misinformation uncovered was staunchly anti-Labour or pro-Reform UK. This includes the widespread sharing of debunked, conspiratorial claims alleging that Mr. Burnham orchestrated a cover-up regarding the grooming gangs scandal. Additionally, the proliferation of AI-generated content—such as a fabricated Reform UK banner—has become a hallmark of the current campaign strategy, marking a sophisticated escalation in how voters are being targeted in the digital sphere.
Dr. Rebecca Montacute, the SMF’s research director, emphasized that the intensity of these attacks is likely linked to Mr. Burnham’s political stature, suggesting that opponents recognize the potential for a victory to serve as a launchpad for a future Labour leadership bid. This has motivated targeted smear campaigns that capitalize on the decline of traditional local journalism. As local newspapers continue to vanish, residents are increasingly turning to Facebook groups as their primary source of community news. Consequently, these groups have become a breeding ground for bad actors, with some pages even masquerading as legitimate local news organizations to lend a veneer of credibility to their manufactured narratives.
The impact of this activity varies wildly depending on the specific infrastructure of the online group. The SMF report found that while some online communities remained relatively sterile of misinformation due to proactive moderation, others saw an explosion of fake news, with one specific group witnessing its misinformation rate climb from 0.8 per cent to a staggering 16.4 per cent. While some users have taken it upon themselves to challenge and debunk these posts in the comments, many others appear to be internalizing the falsehoods as fact, demonstrating how quickly misinformation can bypass critical scrutiny in echo chambers where authentic news is scarce.
Fact-checking organizations, including Full Fact, have mirrored these findings, documenting increasingly sophisticated attempts to mislead voters. Claire Milne of Full Fact highlighted the use of AI to generate inflammatory imagery, such as fake deepfakes depicting Mr. Burnham meeting with specific groups of people alongside fabricated claims regarding his stance on asylum seekers. Similar tactics have been employed to stage artificial anti-Reform protests that never occurred. These visual deceptions are particularly potent because they bypass traditional reading barriers, offering visual “proof” that is difficult for casual social media users to verify in the heat of a campaign.
In response to the report, the SMF has issued an urgent call for social media platforms to bolster their moderation efforts and implement stricter safeguards to protect the integrity of the democratic process. While Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, maintains that it removes content that poses a risk of physical harm or interferes with political processes, the sheer volume of campaign-specific misinformation remains a significant challenge. As Saturday’s by-election approaches, the situation in Makerfield serves as a stark warning about the vulnerability of local democracy to AI-driven propaganda and the urgent need for a more robust defense of truthful information.
