Welcome to your U.S. presidential election year, when all kinds of bad actors will flood the internet with election-related disinformation and misinformation aimed at swaying or suppressing your vote in November.
As EFF's Corynne McSherry wrote in 2020, online election disinformation is a problem that has had real consequences in the U.S. and all over the world-it has been correlated to ethnic violence in Myanmar and India and to Kenya's 2017 elections, among other events.
Still, election misinformation and disinformation continue to proliferate online and off.
That being said, regulation is not typically an effective or human rights-respecting way to address election misinformation.
Even well-meaning efforts to control election misinformation through regulation inevitably end up silencing a range of dissenting voices and hindering the ability to challenge ingrained systems of oppression.
While platforms and regulators struggle to get it right, internet users must be vigilant about checking the election information they receive for accuracy.
To make sure you're getting good information about how your election is being conducted, check in with trusted sources including your state's Secretary of State, Common Cause, and other nonpartisan voter protection groups, or call or text 866-OUR-VOTE to speak with a trained election protection volunteer.
If you see something, say something: You can report election disinformation at https://reportdisinfo.org/, a project of the Common Cause Education Fund.
She discussed why seemingly ludicrous conspiracy theories get so many views and followers; how disinformation is tied to personal identity and feelings of marginalization and disenfranchisement; and when fact-checking does and doesn't work.
An effective democracy requires an informed public and participating in a democracy is a responsibility that requires work.
Online platforms have a long way to go in providing the tools users need to discern legitimate sources from fake news.
Don't let anyone lie, cheat, or scare you away from making the most informed decision for your community at the ballot box.
This Cyber News was published on www.eff.org. Publication date: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:43:06 +0000