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The spread of (mis)information: A social media experiment in Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Hirshleifer, Sarojini
  • Naseem, Mustafa
  • Raza, Agha Ali
  • Rezaee, Arman

Abstract

This study examines how controlling misinformation on a social media platform in Pakistan affects users’ exposure to both accurate and false information. It combines an intervention to disseminate official information about the COVID-19 pandemic across the platform with a randomized experiment that measures the impact of fully controlling access to pandemic-related misinformation. The treatments rely on a higher-intensity, ex ante approach to moderating misinformation on the platform relative to the control, which relies on a typical ex post approach to moderation. Fully controlling misinformation, as in the treatments, reduces the number of daily users by 19%, indicating a distaste for moderation. Furthermore, the treatments reduce exposure to official information by 29% more than they reduce exposure to misinformation. A conceptual framework posits that these findings can be explained by the fact that, in this setting, official information is more trusted, and thus is more widely disseminated, relative to misinformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hirshleifer, Sarojini & Naseem, Mustafa & Raza, Agha Ali & Rezaee, Arman, 2026. "The spread of (mis)information: A social media experiment in Pakistan," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:183:y:2026:i:c:s0304387826000672
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2026.103784
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • P00 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - General - - - General

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