Social Media Lab launches Ukraine-Russia conflict misinformation dashboard

The invisible front in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is misinformation, and a group of researchers in Toronto is helping sort fact from fiction in real time.

Professor Anatoliy Gruzd, Canada Research Chair in Privacy Preserving Digital Technologies and Philip Mai, Co-director of the Social Media Lab at the Ted Rogers School of Management have created an online tool that tracks false or misleading information. The Ukraine-Russia ConflictMisinfo Dashboard (external link)  provides context and evaluations of the disputed information and links to reliable third-party fact checking sites.

"Social media is a contested public space. There's currently a flood of disinformation and misinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine directed at the public in the hope of swaying people's allegiance and sympathy," said Gruzd. 

Since the site launched on February 26, 2022, it has tracked more than 200 stories and counting. The dashboard automatically aggregates and translates professionally fact-checked claims about the Ukraine-Russia conflict from around the web and brings it all in one place.

The dashboard, which is available in English, Ukrainian and Russian, also simplifies and standardizes disparate ratings received from multiple fact-checkers, labeling the reports as true, misleading or false. In one case, viral videos claiming to show Russian and Ukrainian fighter pilots engaged in combat, were in fact screenshots from video games and are verified as fake on the dashboard.

Information informs public opinion, which in turn drives political decision-making, but the rapidity of information shared through social media channels means the process of evaluating the accuracy and independence of that information can be lost, making the dissemination of validated fact-checking information crucial – particularly in times of conflict.

The Social Media Lab (external link)  is an interdisciplinary research laboratory at the Ted Rogers School. The lab studies how social media is changing the ways in which people and organizations communicate, disseminate information, conduct business and form communities, and how these changes impact the social, economic and political structures of modern society. The broad aim of the lab’s various research initiatives is to advance the public’s understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of social media adoption.

Media wishing to connect with the Social Media Lab for more information, contact:

Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd (Canada Research Chair and Director of Research)
Philip Mai (Director of Business Communications)