• Audiences under 44 years of age identify on the Internet a greater issue of hoaxes on health issues and those over 45 years of age, on politics. 

• Less than 40% of respondents acknowledge being exposed on the Internet to false or inaccurate content about war, immigration, Economics and the environment.

The analysis of hoaxes by topic shows that 37% of the Spanish audience identifies false or incorrect information on political topics and 29% on COVID-19. These values are followed by the identification of hoaxes on economic issues (28%) and immigration (27%). If we compare data with those of report in 2022, we can see that in 2024 the audience's attention to misinformation about the pandemic (23 percentage points less) and political issues (six percentage points less) decreases. 

In the international arena, the audience recognizes that they have detected Internet hoaxes about the conflict between Israel and Hamas (24%) and about the war in Ukraine (16%). The current events criterion may explain why the status in the Middle East has generated more attention and, consequently, more disinformation. On the other hand, it should be noted that the recognition of false content is also attributed to environmental issues (23%) and other health issues (19%). The reasons behind the knowledge dissemination of this subject of information are linked to the creation of bubble filters and echo chambers, where people tend to receive and share news that reinforce their own beliefs and perspectives, thus limiting their exhibition to different points of view. The way in which audiences interact may be mediated by various reasons such as the presence of algorithms in social networks, the exhibition to emotional content or the difficulty to discern the truth (especially in scenarios of uncertainty). 

A detailed view of the sociodemographic variables allows us to observe differences in each of the topics. When breaking down the data that include political, health and conflict issues, we can see that the percentage of men who recognize having identified recent hoaxes (42%) is notably higher than that of women (32%). 

The identification of hoaxes in different age groups reveals notable differences. Young audiences (18 to 34 years old) and middle-aged audiences (35 to 44 years old) recognize more misinformation content related to health issues. As can be seen in the graph, in the first three age brackets, the percentage of people who have received false content on health is higher than 40%. However, we can see that older audiences easily recognize disinformation content related to the political sphere. For example, this trend is clearly seen in those over 65 years old, where 43% declare having consulted misinformation on this subject topic. With regard to conflicts, it should be noted that between 24% and 31% of the audience in the different age brackets recognize having received misleading information related to this topic. 

 
Una vez analizados los temas que proporcionan un mayor número de bulos a los que accede la audiencia, presentamos la distinción de otras cuestiones como la inmigración, la economía y las noticias medioambientales o de cambio climático. Una vez más, el porcentaje de hombres que reconoce los bulos es superior al de mujeres. Si nos detenemos en las diferencias por edad, podemos ver que los mayores de 65 años perciben más contenidos falsos sobre inmigración (33%) que sobre medio ambiente (27%). Aunque con porcentajes más bajos, esta tendencia también se percibe entre los más jóvenes (de 18 a 24 años). Sin embargo, la dinámica cambia en los grupos de mediana edad. Una mayor detección de bulos sobre economía destaca en tres franjas de edad que incluyen a participantes entre 25 y 54 años. Las cifras superan los porcentajes sobre inmigración y cambio climático. Por ejemplo, para los internautas entre 25 y 34 años el porcentaje de engaños sobre economía es del 28%, este dato coincide con las personas de 35 a 54 años (26%). 

When studying the recognition of hoaxes by level educational, it is observed that as the audience's Degree of programs of study increases, their ability to recognize erroneous or inaccurate information increases. Once again, health topics are of interest to all subject audiences. For example, 43% of people with programs of study of Degree or postgraduate program acknowledge having received hoaxes on this topic, in line with 37% of the audience with a low level of programs of study (Education basic). Issues such as media literacy and greater access to verified information can mitigate the effects of misinformation.

In terms of income level, data shows that those with a comfortable economic position receive more hoaxes about politics (44%) than about health (42%). This dynamic is maintained among middle-income participants. In contrast, those with an income leave identify more hoaxes about health (35%) than about politics (32%). This disparity highlights the importance of targeting media literacy efforts and access to verified information according to the needs of different demographic groups. 

Hoaxes and use of social networks 

Another aspect to take into account has to do with the easy access to social networks that channel this subject of disinformation content. When analyzing the frequency with which social network users read or view hoaxes according to the variety of topics, significant variations are observed. Firstly, half of the people who show high activity on social networks, at least on four platforms, are more exposed to hoaxes about health and politics. On the other hand, there is less dissemination of hoaxes about war, immigration, Economics and the environment, with a percentage below 40%. In general, this patron saint persists (with some variations) among people who consume two or three social networks. Focusing on those who are only active on one social network , 37% acknowledge having received hoaxes on health issues and 35% on politics. As for the rest of the topics, the audience that actively perceives hoaxes on their favorite social network is below 30%. 

If we study the topic of hoaxes based on the responses of users who acknowledge difficulty in trusting social networks, we observe differences by brand. The majority of users recognize difficulty in finding reliable news on the platforms. The figures are above 40% in all cases. People who leave trust social networks as information channels recognize a higher issue of political hoaxes on X Twitter). Health hoaxes are expressed in a similar way in all social networks (around 40%). It is striking that the highest percentage (47%) is associated with the social network LinkedIn. Therefore, users recognize that locating reliable information through this medium is complicated. 

As consumption patterns change, reliance on news represents a challenge. In addition, growing access to social networks as information intermediaries is widespread among different age groups. The thematic variety highlights the processes of information selection and the values that the audience considers a priority in their information per diem expenses .