Sharing false information is when someone creates or shares information that they know is false and they're distributing it to cause serious harm.
The false information could be sent to you or to a group of people, like a Facebook or WhatsApp group, it could be posted on a social media app or forum, or printed on a poster or flyer.
It could include things like someone:
posting a video or a message to a social media group that could cause unrest or violence in a community
putting up a false message about you on a noticeboard at school, college or work that's intended to cause you serious harm; for example, the false message could say you’ve committed a crime when they know you haven’t
False information can sometimes be called 'fake news', 'misinformation' or 'disinformation'. The thing that makes sharing false information a crime is if someone knows that the information they're creating or sharing is false and they're sharing it with the intention to cause serious physical or mental harm. Even if it only happens once, it's still a crime.
You might not be sure who sent the false information or what they intended when they sent it. That doesn’t matter, you can still report it to us and we’ll decide how to follow up on the details you give us.
