How to Spot Misinformation and Deep Fakes Online (Before You Hit Share)

Misinformation and deep fakes are spreading faster than ever. Learn how to spot fake news, identify deep fakes, and protect your reputation online with these practical tips from the founder of Ethical Digital.

Fake news is no longer just a buzzword. It's a genuine threat to public trust, personal reputation, and even business survival, and it's getting harder to spot every day.

Whether it's a manipulated video of a public figure, a rumour about a company that goes viral before anyone checks the facts, or a misleading headline that spreads across social media in minutes, misinformation moves fast. And the consequences are real.

94% of consumers have avoided a business due to negative online information. Fake news affects stock prices. Trustpilot lost 30% of its share value after a short-seller report spread fabricated allegations of a fake review extortion scheme. Goeasy Ltd. saw its shares drop 15% after viral accusations falsely claimed the lender was hiding $300 million in losses. These aren’t isolated incidents and most incidents are not reported publicly.

So how do we get better at recognizing what's real and what isn't?

First, Let's Define What We're Actually Dealing With

Not all false information is created equal, and understanding the difference matters.

Misinformation is false information that gets shared without the intent to deceive. Someone believes it's true and passes it along.

Disinformation is intentional. It's designed to manipulate, mislead, or cause harm. There are political and social groups who are purposely sharing incorrect information to manipulate the way that you view certain topics. A recent report by BBC shares how misinformation about the Alberta Separatist movement is likely being funded by the United States and Russia. Disinformation is being used as a weapon and it’s up to all of us to be aware - and not share.

Then there are deep fakes: AI-generated videos or audio that make real people appear to say or do things they never did. Deep fakes represent a significant evolution in the misinformation landscape because they're increasingly convincing and increasingly accessible to create.

Why Misinformation Spreads So Fast

Here's an uncomfortable truth: social media users are more likely to share falsehoods than facts. The emotional pull of a shocking or outrageous story is powerful, and platforms are designed to reward engagement, not accuracy.

In fact, 42% of Facebook users say they frequently encounter questionable posts. And yet 96% of people say they want to see the spread of false information limited. That gap between wanting to stop misinformation and actually stopping it comes down to one thing: we often don't pause long enough to check.

When something triggers a strong emotional response, it's easy to share instinctively. That emotional reactivity is exactly what bad actors count on.

How to Tell If Something Is Fake

There are some reliable red flags to watch for, whether you're looking at a news story, a social media post, or a video clip.

Emotional red flags: Be cautious of content that triggers a strong emotional response, makes a bold or shocking claim, seems too good to be true, or leads with sensational clickbait language.

Deep fake red flags: Watch for unnatural facial movements or expressions, audio that feels slightly off-sync, lighting that doesn't quite match the environment, and clips that seem oddly out of context or are being shared without a clear original source.

The biggest signal? If something makes you want to immediately share it, that's the moment to pause instead.

Practical Ways to Verify What You're Seeing

Verifying information doesn't have to be complicated. Here are a few habits that make a real difference.

Check the source. Are multiple credible outlets reporting the same story? If it's only showing up in one place, especially a site you don't recognize, that's a warning sign. You can also use a WHOIS search to look into when a website was registered and by whom.

Use fact-checking tools. Sites like Snopes, MediaSmarts Fact Search, and Politifact exist specifically for this purpose. If a story is circulating widely and it's false, chances are one of them has already reviewed it.

Reverse image search. Tools like Google Lens or TinEye let you upload or paste an image to see where else it has appeared online. This is especially useful for photos that seem out of place or are being used to support a dramatic claim.

Look closely at social media accounts. Fake accounts often have recycled or AI-generated profile photos, typos in their bio or posts, unusually high follower counts relative to their engagement, and a heavy focus on polarizing political content. If an account seems designed to provoke rather than inform, trust that instinct.

What Businesses Need to Know

Misinformation is not just a personal issue. It's a business risk.

The impact of negative news on a brand's reputation has been shown to be three times greater than the impact of positive news. That asymmetry means even a single false story can do significant damage, and it can spread before your communications team even knows it exists.

The best protection is preparation. Before you post, verify. When in doubt, seek an outside expert. And have a communications plan in place that covers what to do if misinformation about your organization starts to spread.

If you do accidentally share something inaccurate, own it. Let your audience know a mistake was made and that it's been corrected. Report the original content to the platform. Add a transparency note if the content lives on your website. If the situation is significant, treat it as a crisis communications moment and make sure all stakeholders are informed.

Transparency isn't a weakness. In a low-trust information environment, it's actually a competitive advantage.

The One Habit That Changes Everything

Think before you share.

It sounds simple because it is. But it's also surprisingly rare. We are all participants in the information ecosystem, and every time we pause to verify before we pass something along, we shift from being part of the problem to being part of the solution.

The tools are available. The knowledge is there. What's needed is the habit.

If you want to go deeper on how misinformation can affect your organization and what you can do about it, Ethical Digital runs regular workshops and resources through their membership community. You can learn more at ethicaldigital.ca/the-problem-with-misinformation.

Katrina German is the founder of Ethical Digital, a digital marketing and media literacy organization focused on helping individuals and businesses navigate the online world with integrity.