Socio-demographic and online behavioural drivers of misinformation engagement in Hungary: evidence from linked survey and social media data

Abstract This study examines how socio-demographic and online behavioural characteristics are associated with misinformation engagement by combining survey data with donated Facebook trace data from a representative sample of the Hungarian Internet user population. Hungary provides a particularly interesting case for this research given its democratic backsliding and changing media landscape, which make understanding individual-level engagement with misinformation especially salient. The results show that from the socio-demographic factors only age was consistently associated with misinformation engagement, but membership in specific interest clusters on Facebook strongly shapes misinformation engagement, suggesting that online communities serve as powerful filters of information exposure: some ecosystems amplify engagement with misinformation, while others are associated with lower levels of such engagement. The study also illustrates that structural socio-demographic factors should be studied together with online behaviour to provide a more complete understanding of the drivers of misinformation engagement.