The role of online attention in the supply of disinformation in Wikipedia

TL;DR

This study investigates how online attention influences the creation of disinformation on Wikipedia, finding that traffic spikes often precede hoax article creation, suggesting attention drives disinformation supply.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence linking attention spikes to the production of disinformation in Wikipedia, enhancing understanding of disinformation dynamics in UGC communities.

Findings

Hoaxes are associated with traffic spikes before creation

Attention increases the likelihood of disinformation production

Findings can inform strategies to improve Wikipedia's content integrity

Abstract

Wikipedia and many User-Generated Content (UGC) communities are known for producing reliable, quality content, but also for being vulnerable to false or misleading information. Previous work has shown that many hoaxes on Wikipedia go undetected for extended periods of time. But little is known about the creation of intentionally false or misleading information online. Does collective attention toward a topic increase the likelihood it will spawn disinformation? Here, we measure the relationship between allocation of attention and the production of hoax articles on the English Wikipedia. Analysis of traffic logs reveals that, compared to legitimate articles created on the same day, hoaxes tend to be more associated with traffic spikes preceding their creation. This is consistent with the idea that the supply of false or misleading information on a topic is driven by the attention it receives. These findings improve our comprehension of the determinants of disinformation in UGC communities and could help promote the integrity of knowledge on Wikipedia.