How Facebook and Twitter Handled Their First Major Election Day Tests
Results were mixed
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As election results trickled in overnight, President Trump falsely declared victory on social media, demanding that votes stop being counted and threatening to take his cause “to the Supreme Court.” In response, Twitter and Facebook jumped into action, rolling out disclaimers on the posts to curb any potential fallout.
The election has been a major test for Facebook and Twitter, which spent the last four years reckoning with their role in the 2016 election, which was marked by conspiracy theories, targeted misinformation, and hyperpartisan propaganda that went largely unchecked by social media platforms. Both platforms have made significant updates to their policies since then.
After Trump took to social media to falsely accuse Democrats of trying to “steal” the election, both Facebook and Twitter slapped warning labels on these posts.
Several of the president’s tweets are now overlaid with disclaimers noting that “some or all of the content shared in the Tweet is disputed.” In explaining its decision making, Twitter cited its Civic Integrity Policy, which prohibits users from manipulating or interfering in elections. Trump’s tweets were also effectively throttled by safeguards that limit other users from liking, replying to, or retweeting them, the Verge reported.
Facebook’s measures were less accusatory. The company has previously stated that it would not challenge any assertions of premature victory, but rather provide an “informational label” to posts that seek to delegitimize the outcome of elections. Facebook directed OneZero to a previous statement on election preparation when asked for comment. “We are attaching an informational label to content that discusses issues of legitimacy of the election or claims that lawful methods of voting like mail-in ballots will lead to fraud,” the statement says. “This label provides reliable information about the integrity of the election and voting methods.”
After Trump took to social media to falsely accuse Democrats of trying to “steal” the election, both Facebook and Twitter slapped warning labels on these posts.
