The false information epidemic in social mediaRodič, Blaž (Avtor) social mediamisinformationdisinformationfake newssimulation modellingThroughout history, crises in human society have often been accompanied by unintentional (misinformation) as well as deliberate (disinformation) spread of false information, dating back to ancient Egypt. However, the rise of online social networks has brought the magnitude of the so-called 'fake news' phenomenon to an unprecedented size. The World Economic Forum identifies disinformation as one of the foremost threats to human society. In our digital society, the rapid and widespread propagation of false information poses significant challenges to democratic processes. This contribution provides an overview of research on the spread of false informationon social networks, with a focus on major global crises such as the U.S. elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, and presents the results of our ongoing research project in this area.20242025-04-14 12:05:20Neznano11594sl