Majority of Australian Adults Vulnerable to Online Misinformation

Melbourne — Nearly 97% of Australian adults have no or very limited ability to verify online information, highlighting the challenge of combating misinformation amid growing political hostility and declining public trust, a Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University research has found.

Associate Professor T.J. Thomson, from RMIT’s School of Media and Communication, said improving media literacy was essential as Australians increasingly encounter misleading claims across digital platforms and face an increasingly polarised public debate.

The warning follows growing concerns about political hostility and an alleged attack on independent Member of Parliament, Helen Haines, placing renewed focus on the consequences of misinformation and the quality of public discourse.

Prof. Thomson said Australians needed stronger skills to question, analyse and assess information rather than accepting online content at face value.

“Misinformation is here to stay, and it's a problem Australians need to learn how to live with,” Prof. Thomson said.

“We can do this by enhancing our collective media literacy: our ability to question, analyse, interpret, evaluate, and exercise appropriate judgement about what we see online," he said.

The 97%  figure comes from a nationally representative information verification test cited by Professor Thomson.

The test assessed adults’ ability to verify online information across different formats, including written material and visual content.

The findings point to a challenge that extends beyond individual users, with Prof Thomson arguing that improving media literacy must be accompanied by action from governments, technology companies and news organisations.

“Because it is impossible to fully eradicate misinformation, we need to address it through cultivating individuals’ media literacy, as well as changes to government regulation, the design and operation of big tech platforms, and the role of journalists to provide trusted news and information,” he said.

Thomson welcomed the Australian Government’s early consultation on a national media literacy strategy, urging authorities to incorporate media literacy education into the national school curriculum.

“It is imperative that the government embeds media literacy education into the modern Australian school curriculum while this broad, non-partisan public support exists,” he said.

The proposed approach would place media literacy education alongside wider efforts to address the spread of misleading information online and strengthen public confidence in reliable information.

Professor Thomson is an Associate Professor and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at RMIT University, where he co-leads the News, Technology, and Society Network. His research focuses on visual communication.

His comments accompany the report Living with Misinformation: A Media Literacy Approach, published by Routledge, which examines media literacy as a response to the persistence of misinformation.

The University’s warning adds to growing debate over how Australia can strengthen public resilience to misleading online content while protecting informed and constructive political discussion.