To take action against misinformation on U.S. elections, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have stepped up. Facebook is providing poll-related resources, while Twitter is expanding its policy against misinformation on mail-in ballots and early voting.
The actions were taken after the 2016 elections when social media platforms received backlash for their lax approach towards fake news report and misinformation campaigns.
Twitter is standing against misinformation on elections with the help of new policies that ensure the emphasis on accurate information regarding all options available for voting including mail-in ballots and early voting. Twitter's VP for public policy, Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, stated in an email to Reuters that Twitter is focused on empowering every eligible person to register and vote via partnerships, tools and new policies.
Moreover, Twitter also plans to introduce measures on new tools, policies, and voting resources as soon as next month. The social media company is also expanding its Civic Integrity policies to address issues related to mail-in and other voting methods.
On the other hand, Facebook's Voting Information Centre provides accurate and easy-to-find information regarding voting to all its users. Facebook also revealed that it is in discussion with officials about misinformation on election results which is an emerging threat.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has been claiming that voting by mail is susceptible to large-scale fraud as it will increase significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic. He has, however, no evidence to support his claims. Moreover, mail-in voting is not a new process in the U.S. as one out of four voters in the country use this voting method.
