Reality Gap Index

NewsGuard has published its third edition of the “Reality Gap Index,” the nation’s first ongoing measurement of Americans’ propensity to believe the top false claims circulating online each month.

In a monthly survey of a representative sample of Americans conducted by YouGov, the Reality Gap Index measures the percentage of Americans who believe at least one of the month’s top false claims. False claims are sourced from NewsGuard’s False Claim Fingerprints datastream, which tracks provably false information with significant spread online. Respondents are quizzed on the top three claims circulating each month, determined by an assessment of each claim’s virality, spread, impact, and potential for harm.

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Methodology

NewsGuard commissioned an August 2025 study with YouGov that polled a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans aged 18+. The survey was carried out online and prompted respondents with three statements conveying false claims spreading online. Respondents were asked to reply to each claim with a response of “True,” “False,” or “Not Sure.”

After completing the survey, respondents were presented with accurate information debunking each claim to ensure that the survey did not inadvertently advance false claims.