New research highlights growing concern among young people in the UK around false claims, AI-generated content and their potential to mislead voters, especially as debate continues over proposals to lower the voting age to 16 and 17. A national survey of more than 550 young people aged 13–17, alongside over 800 parents and carers, reveals how digital political information is shaping attitudes and confidence. Key findings from the survey show that:

• Around six in ten young people worry that false or misleading claims could influence election campaigns and persuade voters, and a similar proportion are concerned about the impact of online misinformation on election results — including AI-generated content.
• Confidence in evaluating political information is limited: just over half of those surveyed feel able to distinguish true from false claims or separate fact from opinion online.
• More than half of parents believe young people are not yet prepared to make informed electoral decisions, pointing to broader concerns about readiness for democratic participation.

Young people themselves think responsibility for combating misinformation should be shared across schools, parents/carers, government and social media platforms to improve media literacy and trust.