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    2 min read 5 stepsApril 15, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Spot Fake News, Deepfakes, and AI-Generated Misinformation

    Learn to identify manipulated images, AI-generated text, misleading headlines, and viral misinformation before you believe or share it.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Safety & Privacy
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    2 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    fake news
    deepfakes
    AI
    misinformation
    media literacy

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Check the source before reading
    2. 2.Read past the headline
    3. 3.Look for signs of AI-generated images
    4. 4.Reverse image search suspicious photos
    5. 5.Use the Fact-Check Toolkit
    1

    Check the source before reading

    ~15s
    Before you read an article, look at WHO published it. Is it a known news organization (AP, Reuters, your local newspaper) or a site you have never heard of? Check mediabiasfactcheck.com for the source's reliability rating.
    2

    Read past the headline

    ~15s
    Fake news relies on people sharing based on the headline alone. Read the full article. Does the body actually support what the headline claims? Often it does not.
    3

    Look for signs of AI-generated images

    ~15s
    AI-generated faces often have: asymmetric earrings, blurred backgrounds near the face, strange teeth or hair patterns, and warped text in the background. Zoom in on details.
    4

    Reverse image search suspicious photos

    ~15s
    Upload any suspicious image to images.google.com (camera icon) or tineye.com. If the photo is from a different event, location, or time period, the story is misleading.
    5

    Use the Fact-Check Toolkit

    ~15s
    Visit teksure.com/tools/fact-check-toolkit to access fact-checking databases, image verification tools, media bias checkers, and an interactive quiz to test your misinformation detection skills.

    You Did It!

    You've finished reading: How to Spot Fake News, Deepfakes, and AI-Generated Misinformation

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    Fake news is not new, but artificial intelligence has made it much harder to spot. AI can now generate realistic photos of people who do not exist, write convincing fake articles, and even create video deepfakes of real people saying things they never said.

    The good news:

    There are clear patterns and tools that help you identify fake content. Once you know what to look for, it gets much easier.

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    fake news
    deepfakes
    AI
    misinformation
    media literacy

    Official Resources

    FTC Consumer ProtectionCISA — Cybersecurity TipsAARP Fraud Watch Network

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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