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Disinformation is no longer a marginal phenomenon and is no longer limited to isolated instances of fake news circulating online. The third edition of the report “Disinformation through the Eyes of Poles”, prepared by the Digital Poland Foundation as part of the “Together Against Disinformation” coalition, reveals that 77 per cent of Poles have encountered disinformation, whilst 79 per cent believe that its scale on the internet has increased over the last five years. Furthermore, 75 per cent of respondents regard disinformation as a serious problem, whilst 47 per cent compare influence operations to the threat posed by a conventional military attack. This is a clear signal that information resilience is becoming one of the key prerequisites for national security, democracy and public trust.
Just a few years ago, we spoke of disinformation mainly in the context of fake news, online rumours and false content spread on social media. Today, the scale and nature of this phenomenon are far more serious. Disinformation has become a tool of influence that can weaken the state, deepen social divisions, erode trust in institutions and undermine democratic processes.
The latest report, “Disinformation through the eyes of Poles. 2026 Edition”, shows that Poles are increasingly recognising this systemic dimension of the threat. They consider national security, social cohesion and democratic processes to be the areas most vulnerable to disinformation.
One of the report’s most striking findings is the extent to which Poles are exposed to false narratives. 91 per cent of respondents confirmed at least one of the 30 pieces of false information analysed, and the average level of acceptance for a single piece of fake news stands at 34 per cent. Of particular significance is the group of people who are highly susceptible to disinformation: one in five Poles agrees with half of the false theories examined, and one in ten with almost all of them.
False information relating to energy, health, politics, climate and new technologies resonates most strongly. Among the most popular narratives were the beliefs that electric cars catch fire more often than combustion-engine cars, that GMOs are harmful to humans, and that card payments are used for the total surveillance of citizens.
This shows that disinformation does not operate in a vacuum. It most often takes root where there are social fears, uncertainty, political disputes or a lack of sufficient trust in institutions and experts.
As Patryk Zakrzewski, vice-president of the Demagog Association, notes:
“This year’s survey provides some very interesting, yet pessimistic, data. Many of the false claims analysed are considered true by respondents. Particularly worrying is the rise in misconceptions regarding climate and health, which, on the one hand, may lead to reduced public engagement in combating human-induced climate change, and, on the other, could have a negative impact on public health in the long term”.
The report also asked who or what is perceived as the main source of disinformation in the Polish public sphere. The most frequently cited sources are national politicians and political parties, automated AI bots and trolls, as well as online content creators and influencers, ordinary internet users, and pseudoscientists and promoters of alternative medicine.
This is an important signal: the public recognises that disinformation is a widespread phenomenon. It does not originate from a single source. It is created and amplified by politics, algorithms, technology, social media, alternative information channels and ourselves – when we thoughtlessly share unverified content.
Social media is now the main point of contact with fake news. It is cited by 66 per cent of people who have encountered false information. This is a marked increase compared with 2024, when the figure stood at 55 per cent. At the same time, the role of television as a source of fake news is declining – from 53 per cent in 2024 to 37 per cent in 2026.
Artificial intelligence is a new and particularly dynamic source of risk. One in five respondents has encountered false content generated by AI tools, and around 8 in 10 Poles believe that the scale of disinformation disseminated via artificial intelligence has increased over the last five years. At the same time, 45 per cent of Poles say they have encountered deepfakes, but as many as 34 per cent are unsure whether they have come across them.
This latter figure is particularly significant. It shows that the problem lies not only in the existence of synthetic content, but also in the lack of certainty as to whether we are able to recognise it. In a world where images, voices and videos can be generated or manipulated in a matter of minutes, the ability to spot fakes is becoming one of the fundamental civic skills.
The report also highlights an important social paradox. 64 per cent of Poles expect digital platforms to take action against disinformation, whilst 57 per cent support government restrictions on false information. At the same time, 45 per cent fear that platforms are removing too much content, whilst 40 per cent defend freedom of speech even when this means allowing fake news to be published.
This means that Poles do not fall into two simple camps: those who want content blocked and those who staunchly defend complete freedom of expression. These attitudes overlap. We want an internet with fewer lies, but we do not want to hand over full control over the boundaries of public debate to either the state or the platforms.
That is why the response to disinformation must be based not only on moderation, but also on transparency, appeal procedures, education and clear standards of conduct for platforms.
As Dr Michał Boni, President of the Digital Poland Foundation, emphasises:
“Research shows a fairly widespread consensus in favour of intervening in false content, which is particularly evident among older people. Poles believe that such content should be blocked, but with a specific emphasis on the role of platforms and fewer powers for the government. This is a positive trend in public opinion.”
Disinformation works not only through false content. It also – and often primarily – works through emotions. 57 per cent of Poles feel that social media algorithms are more likely to display content that evokes strong emotions in order to hold users’ attention for longer. 36 per cent admit that a sensational or emotional headline influences their assessment of the information’s credibility, whilst 21 per cent sometimes share, like or comment on content under the influence of emotion before checking its credibility.
The emotions most frequently exploited are fear and panic, anger and outrage, and hostility towards other groups. The result is not only greater susceptibility to manipulation, but also a real deepening of divisions. 75 per cent of Poles believe that society is more divided today than it was a few years ago, whilst 72 per cent indicate that fake news increases tensions between groups with differing views.
As Magdalena Wilczyńska, director of the analysis and research office at NASK – PIB, points out:
“Responsibility for this landscape lies with online platforms, whose recommendation algorithms seek to make users addicted to an endless stream of content, whilst also favouring the display of sensationalist material. What is more, in the absence of active moderation, mass disinformation often pays off.”
Poles expect concrete steps to be taken. 73 per cent of respondents support the swift removal of fake news, 73 per cent support limiting its reach, 72 per cent support a ban on paid promotion of scams, 72 per cent support blocking accounts that regularly spread disinformation, and 70 per cent support the visual labelling of disinformation.
From the state and public institutions, respondents expect, above all, media education in schools, the curbing of bots through user registration based on real identity, heavy financial penalties for digital platforms, the disclosure of algorithms, and the possibility of appealing against platform decisions to an independent authority.
As Dr Agnieszka Jankowska, Director of the Corporate and Public Affairs Department at T-Mobile Polska, emphasises:
“The results are in line with the trend observed in many European countries of growing public acceptance of active content moderation, particularly when it concerns activities that are clearly harmful or deliberately misleading to audiences. Poles do not expect solely repressive measures. Strong support for media literacy in schools and the elimination of bots and fake accounts points to the need to build the public’s long-term resilience to misinformation.”
The report also shows that Poles accept the use of artificial intelligence in the media, but mainly as a tool to support human work. Only 8 per cent of respondents feel comfortable with a news programme presented by an AI avatar, and likewise only 8 per cent with an article generated and published by AI without journalistic oversight.
Expectations of the media and journalists are primarily about quality: fact-checking before publication, publishing corrections, avoiding clickbait headlines, separating facts from opinions, and labelling the use of AI.
The message is clear: technology can support the media, but it cannot replace editorial responsibility, professional standards and the trust built by human beings.
Although 70 per cent of Poles say they check the reliability of information by comparing it with other sources, specialised fact-checking organisations remain relatively little known. Around 24 per cent of Poles have heard of such organisations. The most widely recognised include Demagog, OKO.press, “Sprawdzamy” on TVP Info, fakenews.pl, Konkret24 and NASK.
Poles most often verify information themselves – via search engines, national news portals and official sources. This means that fact-checking should be more visible precisely where citizens actually look for confirmation of information.
The report’s conclusions are clear. Disinformation is now one of the most significant challenges facing the state, the media, digital platforms, schools, civil society organisations and every internet user. It cannot be curbed by a single tool or a single regulatory decision. We need a combination of several measures: media literacy, transparency in platform operations, responsible moderation, stronger fact-checking, labelling of AI-generated content and high journalistic standards.
Maia Mazurkiewicz, Chair of the PZU Foundation, makes similar observations:
“The report clearly shows that public expectations regarding the organisation of the information landscape in Poland are very strong today. Poles want concrete action, greater accountability and cooperation between different sectors. That is why we attach such great importance to initiatives that unite rather than divide – such as the Global Media Pact Against Disinformation, which was established with the participation of the world’s largest news organisations. At the PZU Foundation, we believe that it is only through shared standards, education and building the competence of audiences that we can effectively strengthen societal resilience.”
Disinformation is not just an internet problem. It is a test of societal resilience, the quality of public debate and the maturity of our institutions. How we respond to this test will determine not only our information security, but also the quality of democracy and mutual trust in Poland.
‘Disinformation through the eyes of Poles. 2026 Edition’ is a follow-up to the research carried out in 2021 and 2024. The report was published by the Digital Poland Foundation as part of the “Together Against Disinformation” coalition. It is available free of charge on the foundation’s website.
The main partners of the publication are the PZU Foundation and T-Mobile Polska.
The publication’s content partners are: Konkret24, NASK – National Research Institute, Ringier Axel Springer Polska, the Demagog Association, TVN Warner Bros. Discovery, and SWPS University. The public opinion survey, conducted on a representative sample of Poles on behalf of the foundation, was carried out by NielsenIQ in May 2026.