Fake Polling Firm Duped Media in ‘Social Experiment’
Summary
A fake polling company called Wedgewood Polls admitted it made up survey results as part of a test to see if the media and polling groups would report false data. Several news outlets, including Newsweek and others, shared Wedgewood’s fake polls before the deception was revealed by election researchers.Key Facts
- Wedgewood Polls started in June 2026 and claimed to be an independent polling firm.
- The company’s polling data was published by multiple news outlets and polling databases.
- Researchers from FiftyPlusOne found evidence that Wedgewood’s data was fake in October 2026.
- Wedgewood admitted the polls were mostly fabricated and called it a social experiment.
- The fake polls influenced coverage of election races, including a Louisiana Senate primary.
- Newsweek retracted three articles after discovering they used Wedgewood’s false data.
- Wedgewood did not share its staff names or locations and avoided public interviews.
- One Wedgewood survey about Nebraska’s Senate race was the only real poll, funded by crowdfunding.
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