Pollster admits to fabricating data for ‘social experiment’ to expose flaws of industry

North America Politics Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:08:01 GMT High confidence — 76/100

A polling firm has admitted to using fabricated data in surveys that were picked up by national media outlets in the US, claiming the project was a “social experiment” designed to expose the lack of scrutiny over the sector.
Wedgewood Polls released a statement on Tuesday on social media, after the polling and election analysis site FiftyPlusOne reached out for comment on an investigation it had conducted into their surveys and data.
In its statement, Wedgewood Polls admitted to fabricating its numbers, and said the project was designed as a “wake-up call”, intended “to demonstrate the vulnerabi

A polling firm has admitted to using fabricated data in surveys that were picked up by national media outlets in the US, claiming the project was a “social experiment” designed to expose the lack of scrutiny over the sector.
Wedgewood Polls released a statement on Tuesday on social media, after the polling and election analysis site FiftyPlusOne reached out for comment on an investigation it had conducted into their surveys and data.
In its statement, Wedgewood Polls admitted to fabricating its numbers, and said the project was designed as a “wake-up call”, intended “to demonstrate the vulnerabi

Sources: Guardian