Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

How social media is preparing for US election chaos

How social media is preparing for US election chaos

There aren't many in the US who are sure there'll be an election result on the night.

Due to unprecedented numbers of postal votes, there could be days - possibly weeks - between the end of voting and the declared result.

And in that period of uncertainty there are fears of civil unrest.

Both sides could claim victory, and misinformation about the result could be rife.

The worry is that anger, fake news and hate speech on social media could inflame tensions.

So what is Big Tech planning to do about it?

The nuclear option would be to close down their apps for a period of time.

This is what we know social media companies intend to do to prevent that from happening.



Twitter says after election day candidates won't be permitted to claim they've won the election before a declared result.

Twitter also says candidates can't tweet or retweet content that encourages interference with the election process.

What will it do if that happens? Well, Twitter says it will direct people to resources with accurate, up-to-date information about the election status.

That sounds like Twitter won't take down tweets or even necessarily suppress them. But the tweets will be labelled.

Crucially Twitter gives itself room to manoeuvre if things really kick off - they haven't ruled out going further.



Last month, Nick Clegg told the FT's Hannah Murphy there were some "break-glass options available to us" in extreme scenarios.

What are those options? Well Facebook won't say.

But the Wall Street Journal has reported that some of these plans include altering news feed algorithms to suppress viral posts that propagate violence or fake news.

They can also deactivate certain hashtags related to misinformation around the election result.

And they will lower the bar for what they remove.

These would be techniques that Facebook has used in other parts of the world like Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

These are on top of what Facebook is already doing - for example labelling misinformation on voting.

They have also teamed up with Reuters to supply accurate election results on the night and in the days after the election.



Reddit appears to go much further that Facebook or Twitter.

It says information that seeks to mislead or misrepresent the election results is not allowed and would be removed from the site.

Reddit also has an entire page committed to what happens after the election

The site will host a series of "Ask Me Anything" events from the day after the election.

Voting experts will be on hand to answer questions about the vote, and what people can expect in the coming days.



Google is working with the Associated Press (AP)— to provide authoritative election results.

So in the days after the election if you searched for "Who won the election?" Google search would direct you to AP's updated results.

Google has also said it will pause ads referring to the 2020 election, the candidates or its outcome after election day.

It says it's done this to limit the potential for ads to increase confusion post-election.

YouTube says it will not allow "misleading claims about voting or content that encourages interference in the democratic process".

It also says it will remove content falsely claiming that mail-in ballots have been manipulated to change the results of an election.

That too goes further than Twitter and Facebook.

It also says it will enforce pre-existing rules on content that promotes violence.



Snapchat is slightly different to other social media companies here.

It doesn't have a newsfeed as such and the nature of the platform makes it harder for misinformation to go viral.

Even so, Snapchat says it is reminding its "stars" whose content appears on its "Discover" section not to amplify false information about the election, even unintentionally.

The company has also said it has an internal task-force to "vigorously protect our platform from being misused in any way".



TikTok says it is working with independent fact checkers during the election period.

It says it will remove misinformation related to the 2020 election - including the vote itself.

It is also adding an election misinformation option to in-app reporting so that users can flag content.

TikTok said: "In these momentous times, we're intent on supporting our community as we work to maintain the integrity of our platform."

In short, all these social media companies are treating the election, and its aftermath, very seriously.

We may know in a few days whether these measures are enough.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
×