Experts Point To Misinformation Before, After Capitol Riot

As news of the riot spread Wednesday afternoon, so did misinformation about who was responsible.

A conservative daily newspaper based in Washington D.C. called the Washington Times, wrote an article claiming that a facial recognition company identified members of Antifa.

However, the facial recognition company denied linking anyone. The Washington Times later corrected its article.

Experts cite a clear link between false narratives pushes by partisan media outlets and extremism.

“The fact is that there are massive audiences online that are hungry for disinformation and misinformation to validate their own beliefs,” Jared Holt, Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Lab, said.

Some analysts said what happened this week is an example of how untrue information online can spread quickly and have real consequences.