A new investigation has found that local social media groups are becoming major channels for misinformation in parts of Britain that lack reliable local news coverage. The research, carried out by the Social Market Foundation and based on more than 125,000 posts across Facebook groups, X searches and Nextdoor communities, found that misleading content was nearly three times more common in areas with little or no recognised local journalism. The findings have prompted concern from MPs and media leaders, who say the decline of local newspapers and broadcasters is leaving communities more exposed to false claims online.
The study said immigration and Islamophobia were the most frequent themes in misinformation circulating across local platforms. It also identified sharp increases in misleading posts around local elections, with misinformation rising as a share of news-related posts by 56% in the run-up to polling day, from 8.2% to 12.9%. Researchers found that two in five local Facebook groups and more than four in five X searches included at least one piece of misinformation in their most recent 1,000 posts, while nearly one in 26 news-related Facebook posts contained misinformation. On X, more than one in four news-related posts were misleading.
The report highlighted examples of fabricated local authority statements, AI-generated material and false claims about councils and public policy. Among the examples cited were a false claim that Birmingham council meetings had “stopped being conducted in English altogether,” a misleading post about an expansion of London’s congestion charge, and another suggesting a plan to make the countryside “less white.” In the Gorton and Denton byelection area in south-east Manchester, misinformation appeared in three out of four local groups, with false posts targeting the Greens, Reform UK and Labour. The analysis found that 6.5% of news-related posts in those groups were misinformation.
The authors warned that communities without trustworthy local journalism are especially vulnerable. More than 4.4 million people in the UK now live in a so-called news desert, where there is no dedicated local news provider. The report described local online groups as “the silent killer of trust in Britain,” arguing that they are increasingly shaping how people understand local politics, services and neighbours. One MP said local groups in his area were now read by more people than local and even some national outlets, despite being run by administrators who may lack legal expertise or openly support a political party.
Chi Onwurah, the Labour chair of the science and technology select committee, said the findings were deeply concerning and called for stronger regulation and greater transparency in the online safety regime. The News Media Association said the report showed why local journalism remains essential in countering misinformation. Meta and Nextdoor said they had policies to tackle misinformation, while X did not respond to a request for comment.
