More of us doubting online information but many don't check its accuracy, CSO says

Amongst younger people aged 16-29, women (53%) were more likely than men (47%) to limit access to their digital profile or content on social media sites or shared online storage. File photo

More of us are seeing information online that we consider doubtful or untrue, but a significant proportion don't bother to check its veracity, a new survey has found.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said that four in five (80%) people had doubts about the accuracy of information they saw or read online in 2025, up from 63% in 2023.

However, only three-quarters (76%) of these people checked how true this information was, with older people less likely to check it out.

“The main way people checked the truthfulness of online content was to verify the validity of the sources and seek alternative sources of information from trustworthy sources such as other news sites, with 93% of such people choosing this method of checking the content integrity,” statistician Maureen Delamere said.

Internet security

The details were contained in CSO data on household internet security in 2025, delving into a range of factors on how we keep ourselves safe online. Its data suggests Irish internet users are becoming more tech-savvy when it comes to protecting their data online.

It found seven in 10 (70%) restricted access to their geographical location online, compared to 61% in 2023. There was also a small rise (up two to 50%) in people limiting access to their digital profile/content on social networking sites or shared online storage.

Two-thirds (67%) of internet users had limited restricted access to their personal data for advertising purposes. Men were more likely than women to do so.

Amongst younger people aged 16-29, women (53%) were more likely than men (47%) to limit access to their digital profile or content on social media sites or shared online storage.

Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of men and women (63%) said they had seen content online they considered to be hostile or degrading towards groups of people or individuals this year.

The main reason cited for this content was political or social views (78%), followed closely by racial or ethnic origin (77%).

Scams

Reacting to the findings, Compliance Institute CEO Michael Kavanagh said the data acted as a reminder that people do need to take care of their information online to ensure they don’t become prey for scammers.

“There has been a notable increase in the number of ‘pop-up’ social media adverts featuring fake, AI-generated endorsements from well-regarded and trusted celebrities,” he said.

“False and misleading social media ads can have major repercussions for consumers. These include financial loss if purchasing low-quality or non-existent products and health risks, or purchasing unregulated health products, which could turn out to be dangerous.

“While it might seem convenient, you’re more vulnerable to scams when using public internet, and your confidential data could fall into the wrong hands if you transfer it over a public network. Be particularly wary of a public internet network that’s password-free.”