The spread of misinformation presents a significant challenge in the civic space, and this last global “year of elections” has illustrated just how easily bad actors can slip through the cracks of social media platforms. Misleading claims fed to young TikTok users in the form of video montages proved to be endemic in the run-up to the UK election, with fictional, seemingly automated accounts behind them. Real or not, the content and subsequent comments may still succeed in convincing impressionable users with alternative facts.
In the U.S. 38% of adults used social media to seek information about the 2024 presidential election. With sweeping content moderation changes on Meta platforms imminent—leaving it up to users to comment on posts they deem to be inaccurate—manipulative information is increasingly likely to reach a broader segment of the population, and illegitimate social media campaigns will have the potential to mislead millions of people.
