Election 2020: Social media grappling with phony info on platforms

Twitter and Facebook announced that Russians are interfering with the 2020 presidential election by setting up a network of fake accounts and a website looking like a left-leaning news outlet. The two companies are under pressure to confront the problem after failing to act in a timely fashion in 2016. (The New York Times, September 1, 2020, by Sheera Frenkel and Julian E. Barnes)

In an attempt to preempt false information affecting the election, Facebook said it was barring political ads a week before the election and removing posts with misinformation about the virus and voting. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed a desire to protect democracy, “That means helping people register and vote, clearing up confusion about how this election will work, and taking steps to reduce the chances of violence and unrest.” Critics said voting has already begun in some states amid dishonest ads on Facebook. (Associated Press, Septtember 3, 2020, by Zen Soo)

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