More Dutch internet users doubt the accuracy of online information

More people in the Netherlands are distrustful of information they find on the internet, according to Statistics Netherlands. In the latest ICT-use survey, 72 percent of the 5,000 respondents said they come across content they consider inaccurate, up from 67 percent two years ago and 63 percent in 2021. Social media messages, in particular, are a major source of doubt.

Adults aged 25 to 45 are the most skeptical, with 84 percent saying they doubt the accuracy of online information. Among people 65 and older, the figure is 48 percent, though this group has seen the sharpest rise in uncertainty over the past few years. Overall, 76 percent of male respondents and 68 percent of female respondents question the trustworthiness of what they read online.

Of the people who are unsure about the reliability of online posts, 68 percent actively check whether the information is correct. Men, younger and middle-aged users (12 to 45), and those with higher professional or academic degrees are the most active in checking information. Women, seniors, and people with only primary schooling or a pre-vocational diploma are the least likely to do so.

Among those who fact-check, more than 80 percent say they search online for supplementary details, while just over half review the original source. Roughly 30 percent talk the information over with others offline or consult offline materials for additional verification.

Among those who choose not to verify potentially inaccurate online information, the most common explanation, cited by 65 percent, is that they already consider the content or its source unreliable. Around 20 percent say they simply do not know how to check it, and nearly 10 percent find the process too challenging.