We have learned from the 2016 US election that social media can have a powerful influence on people's political inclination and therefore the election results. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were heavily criticized for not preventing false information from spreading. They were taken advantaged of by political groups to use advertising functions to reach people and spread fake news. Since then, social media platforms have made efforts to reduce the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories. In the most recent 2020 election in November, here are a couple things that each social media platforms did to tackle these problems.
Facebook has temporarily suspended all political ads after polls close on Nov 3. It also plans to label posts in case a candidate tries to declare victory prematurely. Additionally, Facebook is planning to change their algorithms to suppress viral content that spread fake news and encourage violence.
Twitter also took action by putting a warning sign on top of every user's feed to increase awareness about fake news about the election - for example unconfirmed claims that voting by mail leads to election fraud, and posts that make claims about the election results before they're officially called. Twitter will also only rely on seven more trustworthy news outlets to determine if a race is officially called.
Google and Youtube has also committed to banning any ads related to the elections after Nov 3. Google's search will display results from Associated Press and Youtube will elevate more credible sources such as CNN and Fox News. Youtube has also said that they will take down videos that spread misinformation about anything related to the elections.
TikTok, on the other hand, plans to change algorithm to reduce the discoverability of content that prematurely claim victory of any candidate.
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