Using half-truths, carefully-edited video, and selective reporting, both the pro-democracy and pro-Beijing camps push their own protest narrative — and even fact checking doesn’t always help people understand what’s going on.

“I just assume everything is fake until I have seen sources from both sides and more than two news agencies I trust are reporting the same,” Hong Kong resident Michael Wu, 27, told AFP.

Opposing camps are locked in “echochambers” of misinformation online, said Wu, with genuine, neutral news sources were being drowned out online

“People on each camp only ‘fact check’ sources within their own echochamber,” Wu said. “Even when the truth is out, people are also ready to believe in whatever fake news that would advance their cause or ideology.”