How can governments prevent the spread of fake news? A situational cyberdeviance prevention analysis

The production and consumption of fake news vary significantly across countries, yet research has not comprehensively examined country-level supply- and demand-side factors, limiting our ability to understand the mechanisms driving this phenomenon. Using situational crime-prevention theory as the foundation, in this study we conceptualize the factors influencing fake news propagation. Specifically, we theorize the role of local mobile content and services as a supply-side factor that offers situational technological opportunities for producing and disseminating fake news. On the demand side, we theorize citizens’ subjective well-being and happiness as a factor that reduces a nation’s fake news propensity. Additionally, we assess how the quality of legal guardianship within a nation moderates the influence of supply-side factors on fake news propensity. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, we first tested our theoretical model using a unique dataset compiled from seven independent cross-country sources covering 65 countries. To complement this analysis and obtain a more holistic understanding of the phenomenon, we conducted qualitative interviews with eight senior policy and civil society experts engaged in managing fake news at the national, regional, and international levels. These interviews not only corroborated the quantitative findings but also revealed boundary conditions that refine our theorized model. Our results provide a nuanced understanding of the interplay between supply-side and demand-side factors in curbing fake news production and dissemination, and offer practical insights for institutional bodies focused on crime prevention and policymakers tasked with designing ways to address the scourge of fake news including misinformation.