Fake news websites are those which intentionally publish hoaxes and misinformation for purposes other than news satire. Some of these sites use homograph spoofing attacks, typo squatting and other deceptive strategies similar to those used in phishing attacks to resemble genuine news outlets.
Definition Fake news sites deliberately publish hoaxes and disinformation to drive web traffic inflamed by social media. These sites are distinguished from news satire (which is usually intended to be humorous) as they mislead and sometimes profit from readers' gullibility. While most fake news sites are portrayed to be spinoffs of other news sites, some of these websites are examples of website spoofing, structured to make visitors believe they are visiting major news outlets like ABC News or MSNBC. The New York Times pointed out that within a strict definition, "fake news" on the Internet referred to a fictitious article which was fabricated with the deliberate motivation to defraud readers, generally with the goal of profiting through clickbait. PolitiFact described fake news as fabricated content designed to fool readers and subsequently made viral through the Internet to crowds that increase its dissemination.
The New York Times noted in a December 2016 article that fake news had previously maintained a presence on the Internet and within tabloid journalism in the years prior to the 2016 U.S. election. Except for the 2016 Philippine elections, prior to the election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, fake news had not impacted the election process and subsequent events to such a high degree. Subsequent to the 2016 election, the issue of fake news turned into a political weapon, with supporters of left-wing politics saying those on the opposite side of the spectrum spread falsehoods, and supporters of right-wing politics arguing such accusations were merely a way to censor conservative views. Due to these back-and-forth complaints, the definition of fake news as used for such polemics became more vague.
Lists
Campaigns by individuals The following is a list of websites created by individuals (aside from those associated with corporations or political actors) that have been considered by journalists, fact-checkers or researchers as distributing false news - or otherwise participating in misinformation or disinformation.
American News LLC NameDomainStatusNotesSourcesAmerican Newsamericannews.comDefunctPublished a false story claiming actor Denzel Washington endorsed Donald Trump for U.S. president. The fictional headline led to thousands of people sharing it on Facebook, a prominent example of fake news spreading on the social network prior to the 2016 presidential election.Conservative 101conservative101.comInactiveFalsely claimed that the White House fired Kellyanne Conway.Democratic ReviewDemocraticReview.comDefunctOwned by American Review LLC of Miami, the same company that owns American News (americannews.com), Conservative 101 and Liberal Society.Liberal SocietyLiberalSociety.comDefunctPublished a fake direct quote attributed to Obama, Falsely claimed that the White House fired Kellyanne Conway.
Jestin Coler NameDomainStatusNotesSourceswashingtonpost.com.cowashingtonpost.com.coDefunctOriginally registered by Jestin Coler. The Washington Post submitted a complaint against Coler's registration of the site with GoDaddy under the UDRP, and in 2015, an arbitral panel ruled that Coler's registration of the domain name was a form of bad-faith cybersquatting (specifically, typosquatting), "through a website that competes with Complainant through the use of fake news. ... The fake news content misleads readers and serves as 'click bait' to drive readers to other sites, or to share the fake news content with others on social networking websites, to generate advertising revenue."
Paul Horner NameDomainStatusNotesSourcesABCnews.com.coABCnews.com.coDefunctOwned by Paul Horner. Mimics the URL, design and logo of ABC News (owned by Disney–ABC Television Group).mericaland.commericaland.comDefunctNBC.com.coNBC.com.coDefunctImitates NBC.St George Gazettestgeorgegazette.comDefunct
WTOE 5 News NameDomainStatusNotesSources16WMPO16WMPO.comDefunctImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.alynews.comalynews.comDefunctPart of a network that posted a false story that there was a sequel to the movie Step Brothers in the works in 2016. Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.channel16news.comchannel16news.comDefunctPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.channel17news.comchannel17news.comDefunctLikely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.Channel 18 NewsChannel18News.comImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.clancyreport.comclancyreport.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.Daily News 10DailyNews10.comImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.Daily News 11dailynews11.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.Daily News 5DailyNews5.comImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.Headline Briefheadlinebrief.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.km8news.comkm8news.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.KMT 11 Newskmt11.comDefunctFalsely reports celebrity appearances and filming locations in random local towns. Before the website went down, it referred to itself as a "fantasy news website".Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.knp7.comkp11.comDefunctPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.kspm33.comkspm33.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.KUPR7kupr7.comLikely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.ky6news.comky6news.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.KY12News.comKY12News.comImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.KYPO6kypo6.comDefunctPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.Local 31 NewsLocal31News.comImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.localnews33.comlocalnews33.comPart of the same network as alynews.comlopezreport.comlopezreport.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.maywoodpost.commaywoodpost.comLikely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.mbynews.commbynews.comPart of the same network as alynews.comMcKenzie Postmckenziepost.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.NewsDaily12.comNewsDaily12.comImpostor site, per PolitiFact. Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News.newsdaily27.comnewsdaily27.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.oreillypost.comoreillypost.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.wcpm3.comwcpm3.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.wleb21.comwleb21.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.WRPT 16 Newswrpt16.comPart of the same network as WTOE 5 News.WTOE 5 Newswtoe5news.comDefunctOriginal source of false claim that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump in 2016.
Your News Wire NameDomainStatusNotesSourcesNeon Nettleneonnettle.comPer FactCheck.org and PolitiFact. Stated by Snopes to be "interrelated" with NewsPunch and Your News Wire.The People's Voice(formerly NewsPunch and Your News Wire)thepeoplesvoice.tvActiveFounded by Sean Adl-Tabatabai and Sinclair Treadway in 2014. It has published fake stories, such as "claims that the Queen had threatened to abdicate if the UK voted against Brexit." Its name was changed to NewsPunch in 2018 and The People's Voice in 2023.Your News Wireyournewswire.comFormer name for The People's Voice.
Others NameDomainStatusNotesSourcesAfrican News Updatesafricannewupsdate.comSame owner as News Updates South Africa. Published a false story about election fraud during the 2016 municipal elections in South Africa, which led to the Electoral Commission of South Africa filing a criminal complaint against the site owner.Hot Global Newshotglobalnews.comLeading Reporttheleadingreport.comA website and Twitter account that promotes misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and United States politics.National News Bulletinnationalnewsbulletin.comSame Google Analytics ID as News Updates South Africa.The Intel Dropwww.theinteldrop.orgActiveCommon Russian disinformation website.The National Sunthenationalsun.comSame owners as Hot Global [email protected] news website in South Africa, per Africa Check, an IFCN signatory. Same owner as News Updates South Africa.News Updates South Africanewsupdatessa.sitePer Africa Check and News24.The Vigilant Foxhttps://www.vigilantfox.com/ActiveRecurrent spreader of conspiracy theories and false information on vaccines, geoengineering, climate change and several conservative themes.
Philippine List
The Philippines has been called "Patient Zero" in the current era of disinformation, with Rodrigo Duterte's presidential campaign being regarded as the index case, having preceded widespread global coverage of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Russian trolls.
There is an extensive archive list of fake news websites based in the Philippines or targeting Philippine audiences which has been moved from this international list article to the Fake news in the Philippines article due to its size.
Disinformation campaigns
Corporate disinformation campaigns
Examples of disinformation campaigns from companies include Eliminalia, a reputation management firm that created a network of over 600 websites for its clients, and Regency Enterprises, which created sites to promote the movie A Cure for Wellness.
Political disinformation campaigns
Examples of countries with political actors that have been confirmed or suspected to be involved with fake news website networks include Brazil, Colombia, India, Iran, Italy, the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine (Luhansk), and the United States.
Fraudulent fact-checking websites
According to the Poynter Institute, there are four categories of false fact-checking websites:
Sites that are satirical in nature Sites that attempt to subvert serious fact-checking sites Sites that re-appropriate the term "fact-check" for partisan political causes Sites with more violent intentions, such as genocide denial.
NameDomainStatusNotesSourcesFact Check Armeniafactcheckarmenia.comA website with ties to Turkish government-related organizations that denies the historical facts of the Armenian genocide.Fact-Checking Turkeyfactcheckingturkey.comOperated by PR company Bosphorus Global and counters criticism of Turkey in foreign media. It treats statements by Turkish government officials as arbiters of the truth.India Vs Disinformationindiavsdisinformation.comOwned by "a Canadian communications firm called Press Monitor"O Detetiveodetetive.comHas the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. The website owner was summoned by a regional court in Brazil for publishing a false story about the 2018 attack on Jair Bolsonaro.OpIndiaopindia.comActiveOpIndia is an Indian website that has been rejected by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Fact checkers certified by the IFCN have identified 25 fake news stories published by OpIndia between January 2018 and June 2020.War on Fakeswaronfakes.comDefunctA Russian website that promotes Russian propaganda and disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Seized by the United States federal government in 2024.
Fraudulent virtual encyclopedias