The U.S. is getting into the nitty-gritty with the 2020 election season and social media platforms, along with other online services are taking notice. Because of the misuse of social media, like the spreading of misinformation, social platforms are usually pressured to establish policies and security measures to stop these behaviors. Let’s look at social media free speech and security policies during the election.
Why This is a Concern
Misinformation can be easily spread on social media. Imagine someone you know and trust posts a mind-blowing statistic, so you want to repost it. You trust them so you trust the statistic is real, but it turns out that it never was. Because of this, people have scrutinized the platforms and the policies in place to avoid this issue.
Here are some of the steps major platforms are taking to keep their sites and applications fact-driven and secure.
The Election Information Hub
Facebook, and their photo-sharing platform have both launched an election information hub. This was made to help potential voters find the information they need.
Next, COVID-19 has been one of the most controversial topics on social media, along with misinformation being spread everywhere. These issues have caused people to wonder if social media free speech exists and if it should be limited like this.
Safety and Security
In addition to education stations and labels on posts to encourage education, Facebook has also added other labels. These labels mark content from media sources that are controlled by a governing state, as well as fact-checking warnings to warn people not to believe everything they see. Instagram also requires authentication if certain behaviors are seeming blot-like or coming from a different country than where the user typically posts.
What Are Other Platforms Doing?
Facebook is not the only social network working to protect its users. Here are some other industry giants that are doing the same:
- Verizon
- Microsoft
- The Wikimedia Foundation
This group even met with government agencies on August 12 to discuss ways to protect their users from misinformation or from influencing or interfering with the election. Along with all of this, many of these platforms are also giving their employees paid time off to vote on November 3rd.
MyTek can help support you when it comes to being protected online and to help you learn more about social media free speech and security, so give us a call today at 623031202440.