Hoaxy (Observatory on Social Media)
Hoaxy (Observatory on Social Media)
Founded in 2016
Hoaxy is a web-based tool that visualizes the spread of articles online. Hoaxy searches for claims and fact-checking going back to 2016. It tracks the sharing of links to stories from low-credibility sources and independent fact-checking organizations. It also calculates a bot score, which is a measure of the likely level of automation. Overall, the IU Observatory on Social Media is interested in studying and better understanding how information is shared online. They are also interested in studying how social media affects public discourse.
Hoaxy (Observatory on Social Media) is not affiliated with RAND. It was selected for this database because it fits our researchers' inclusion criteria.
- Tool type
- Disinformation tracking, Bot/spam detection
- Status
- Fully operational
- Intended users
- General public, Researchers
- Cost
- Free
- Tool focus
- This tool is content-focused. It directly evaluates information, such as the authenticity of a photo.
- Method or technology
- Machine learning and AI
- Is the tool automated?
- Yes
- Founding organization
- Indiana University
- Founder/primary contact
- Filippo Menczer, Alessandro Flammini
How is this tool working to address disinformation?
This tool aims to fight disinformation by raising awareness about various disinformation campaigns and how false information spreads online. This is intended to make the public more aware of available information and better prepared to navigate the information ecosystem.
Is there a connection with tech platforms?
None found
Who is funding the tool?
Hoaxy received a National Science Foundation award, a James S. McDonnell Foundation complex systems grant, and a seed grant from the Lilly Endowment. Research on social bot detection was supported in part by DARPA SMISC.
Are there external evaluations?
None found