Analysis: Tech companies are still grappling with a flood of baseless claims about voter fraud in 2020, even as the 2022 midterm elections rapidly approach.
“Our democracy is based on accepting legitimate election outcomes and honoring the peaceful transition of power,” said Advance Democracy President. “But months before the midterms, and years before the next presidential election, the trend lines are clear.”
“TikTok prohibits election misinformation, including claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent, and works with independent fact-checking organizations who help assess content so that violations of our Community Guidelines can be promptly removed,” spokespersonsaid in a statement that the company's priority remains “ensuring people on Twitter have access to reliable, credible information about elections and civic processes” and that they are “taking steps to limit the spread and...
“A significant percentage of political leaders on the right, as well as key figures on right-leaning television networks and social media platforms, continue to promote baseless election narratives that undermine faith in our democracy,” Jones said. For the study, researchers reviewed public posts on Facebook and Twitter referencing U.S. elections for mentions of terms including “Stop the Steal,” “rigged” or “stolen.” It’s not clear how many of the posts expressed support for claims of fraud, and how many merely referenced them, such as a news report discussing efforts by officials to overturn the elections.