Major social media companies have promised to remain on top of misinformation spread ahead of the election, but it doesn’t appear to be happening.
According to Rochester First, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube claim to be working hard to stop misinformation.
The goal is to stop the spread of untrue information that could lead to suppressing legitimate votes, or worse, violence.
Specifically, social media is working to avoid something like the Jan. 6 insurrection that happened at the Capitol.
What type election misinformation is in social media?
Popular terms being searched for include “stolen election” and “voter fraud.” Tweets continue to be retweeted or spread that have already been proven untrue, dating back to the 2020 election.
Social media platforms that take the issue seriously have taken steps in an attempt to curb the problem. Some solutions include adding labels or warnings as well as changing systems that recommend content automatically.
When users choose to repeatedly violate rules, they can be suspended. This happens often on Facebook. Other solutions include using fact checking organizations and reputable news outlets.
Meta, or Facebook, has partnered with AP, as part of their fact checking program.
While these major companies work hard to stop misinformation from spreading, the public feels they aren’t doing enough to stop it.
A new tactic among those spreading said misinformation is to target non-English speaking voters in an attempt to suppress their vote.
While Meta claims to have added twice as many Spanish fact checkers, leaders feel enough is not being done.
Brenda Victoria Castillo, CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, feels Hispanic people are being lied to and discouraged from voting.
Winter weather outlook across the U.S. shows La Niña will make certain areas more or less dry
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].