Causes.com
| 5.29.24
Election Interference & Disinformation: Concerns and Solutions
Are you concerned about election interference this year?
Election Interference
Defining the problem
- Election interference occurs when one entity, typically the government of a foreign nation, attempts to disrupt or influence the election process of another country. Interference can distort the public's priorities and the freedoms promised in democracy.
Spotlighting examples
- The world has a dense history of election interference, but it became a hotly debated topic during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Russian government interfered in the election to advance Donald Trump in hopes that this would make the U.S. less likely to intervene with Russia's aggressive tendencies in foreign policy.
- Leading up to the election, Russian agents used fake social media groups and pages, mainly a troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency (IRA), to promote Trump, demonize his opponents, and disseminate false information and news. The IRA's actions increased political polarization throughout the U.S., which impacted voter turnout and increased intimidation at the polls.
- The full impact of Russia's interference is still unknown. The Senate's investigation in 2019 concluded:
"This campaign sought to polarize Americans on the basis of societal, ideological, and racial differences, provoked real world events, and was part of a foreign government's covert support of Russia's favored candidate in the U.S. presidential election."
Recent concerns
- Election interference is still a concern today, especially after members of the GOP claimed that President Biden's win in the 2020 election was fraudulent. The National Intelligence Council's investigation of the 2020 election found that Russian state-sanctioned agents once again attempted to influence the election to benefit Trump. Simultaneously, Iranian actors were extending efforts to harm Trump's campaign.
- After the election was called, Donald Trump and co-conspirators attempted to undermine the result of the 2020 election by spreading false information about election fraud and pressuring lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to keep Trump in power. This ultimately led to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In 2023, the Department of Justice charged Trump with four crimes related to 2020 election interference.
- The debate continues over how prepared the U.S. is to counter future election interference threats, mainly considering the government's deterrence efforts and ability to safeguard freedoms of speech and expression. Additionally, many have shared concerns over emerging technologies that can facilitate hacking and mis- and disinformation campaigns.
Election disinformation
Defining the problem
- Disinformation is false content and messaging deliberately disseminated to produce a harmful outcome.
- The spread of disinformation—not to be confused with misinformation, which is spread without harmful intent—has been on the rise in the era of social media, political polarization, and AI-generated material.
- From false information on when, how, and where to vote to incorrect facts regarding political candidates, election disinformation is a danger to American democracy. It has been used to harm election officials and disenfranchised voters, has affected civic participation, and goes hand-in-hand with election interference.
Spotlighting examples
- Inaccurate information regarding voter fraud and election integrity started rising during the 2020 election, and continues to spread.
- Although election fraud is incredibly rare, conspiracy theories about rigged voting machines, fraudulent votes, and more have aided disinformation campaigns on social media, leading to widespread voter confusion.
- While many social media companies created comprehensive practices to combat misinformation and disinformation on their platforms after the 2016 election, efforts have been dwindling. Companies have found that they cannot advance their moderation tools quickly enough to combat AI's leading role in issues.
Recent concerns
- A Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll from 2023 found that 83% of American adults believe the spread of false and inaccurate information is a "major problem" in the U.S. This belief remains high among various demographic groups.
- The same poll found that 31% of voters feel uncertain about the accuracy of information they see on the presidential election "all or most of the time."
- Experts have stressed how social media fosters the perfect environment for disinformation to thrive as the online realm becomes increasingly polarized and combative.
- Analysts from the Brennan Center noted five factors that may make the 2024 election disinformation cycle markedly worse than 2020: deterrence of key institutions and agencies from addressing falsehoods about the election process; domestic agents coordinating their efforts to undermine American elections; social media platforms reducing efforts to moderate false election content; geopolitical crises highlighting interests of Russia, China, and Iran; and recent advances in AI that can boost false information like never seen before.
Solutions to keep yourself (and your vote) safe
- As we inch closer to election day, it's important to start building your toolkit to determine whether what you're seeing, reading, and engaging with is accurate.
- The first step is to use reliable sources for your news and election information. Credible sources to fact-check information on your social media feeds include PolitiFact, AP Fact Check, and The Washington Post's Fact Checker.
- If a publication seems illegitimate, follow ProPublica's three guiding questions — Does it have an about us page? Does it have a mailing address at the bottom? Does it have a Wikipedia page? If the answer to these questions is no, odds are your source is not credible.
- When in doubt, be sure to check your Secretary of State's page to get trustworthy information on how your election is being conducted.
Are you concerned about election interference this year?
-Jamie Epstein
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I find it interesting that "we" are the ones charged with protecting ourselves from misinformation.
Most people in this country are busy trying to put food on the table & keep a roof over their head. They don't have time to sift through the steaming piles of sh*t to find the fact checked nuggets of truth.
News outlets have a responsibility to report facts. Not spin and definitely not outright lies!
We've had 3 1/2 years since the last election. Congress, what have you done to ensure:
-the American public's news sources report facts?
-no election interference from hostile foreign agents?
-misinformation & lies are swiftly & publicly corrected?
- news outlets that engage in knowingly spreading misinformation & lies are dismantled/stopped/held accountable ?
Tick, tick, tick!
I find that the republicans are professionals at misinformation, voter fraud and suppressing the vote !!!!!!
Corporate America is backing republicans to be able to fleece America and avoid taxes, support their greed and cause the collapse of capitalism and democracy.
ThanYou got military weapons that rely on GPS that can be jam and become useless, Russia war in Ukraine is now showing that!
You got republicans and Trump rooting for the failure of America, why?
I'm concerned that stupid people will believe stupid things without any sort of effort on their part to verify what they're being told.
The problem is not what Trumpists say it is. There has never been much in the way of election fraud. In fact, republicans have been the ones who have been charged most with voter fraud I've read about. The others who have been aggressively prosecuted have been people who voted because they did not understand just how long felony disenfranchisement can last!
What is a much bigger problem are republican politicians who have changed the laws concerning voting to make it much harder for minorities to vote!
Another example of republican craziness is making it illegal to provide food or water to voters in line for more than 4 hours often in direct sun!
I wonder about the humanity of republican politicians...
Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday declined to meet with Democratic senators to discuss Supreme Court ethics issues in the wake of reports that controversial flags were flown at Justice Samuel Alito's houses.
In a letter to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Roberts said he "must respectfully decline your request for a meeting," citing concerns about maintaining judicial independence
Does he even understand the meaning of Judicial Independence?
shame on Roberts
shame on all of the 6 upside down justices
Yes, I am concerned but on this day I am beyond elated that the Orange Menace scumbag has finally been held accountable to some degree. May this be the first domino...
Just look at what happened last time and what has been said about the bloodshed that has been promised to the oppositions. Sore losers that cannot accept defeat resort to lies, deceit, rumors, brashness, bullying, and the fear to cast the reasoning behind the loss to be anything other than what it was, a loss. WE have a bull with a bullhorn that continues to toot his own horn to everybody who needs a cause to thwart society into irrational change.
A Presidential campaign says much about the character of the person and the people supporting that person. It is not about a personal win for a person on one side or another. How do we want to see the future of our country? As a global leader, a democracy, dictatorship, fearfully submitting to a leader who instills fear in their opposition or one who values citizenship above all. (We stopped teaching this in our public schools so no one is trained in the decency and honor in citizenship in America, except those trying to become citizens.)
America has lost its way. We have issues to resolves, one being how we resolve issues. A house divided cannot stand and we are a nation divided into multiple factions. The average America receives daily oppressive bullying, negativity, anger, slandering, selfishness, and sensationalism. We are under constant derogatory and non-professionalism by our leaders in, or wanting in, a governmental position. Respect for all is severely lacking and fueling the anger, hate and violence in all aspects of our country, society, communities and homes.
Our country does need change but by young, vibrant, intelligent, compassionate, honorable and honest leader(s) that do not have a personal agenda for personal gain. A group that inspires all citizens to come together as a united country. We do have some but not enough on the same page to tame a bully.
If you don't still get chills when you see the American flag furling in the wind or hear your heartbeat when you sing the National anthem then maybe you should consider taking your apathy or dissension to another country.
Now after all that how many positive attributtes does our country inspire or unite us all? How will those be impacted by the election results?
The mega-rich, who stand to profit from Trumps election, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to get their boy elected. Why is it OK to buy an election in this country?
Republican interference like Trump did in 2016.
It needs to be a fool proof election!
I'm not concerned about election interference, I'm more concerned about the onslaught of misinformation concerning elections & candidates.
T rump says he'll prosecute election officials if he's elected. I assume he'll only prosecute registered democrats. Either way I'm sure there are those that have that responsibility and I wouldn't want a president who played sheriff all day. Especially one with his intellect.
I'm concerned as a democratic voter who tries to model Christian values.
There are many issues I have with Trump spiritually, morally, legally and politically.
However, I cannot support the idea of a person choosing to change their sex based on their feelings and participating as if they were born with that gender.
I also have a problem with abortion on demand as a form of birth control or convenience. A more active and vocal call to consider the damage that is done and what blessing you could abort.
I believe the candidate running should express what they personally believe and Americans should have a right to choose. People still need a moral compass's.
Democrats do a great job showing compassion and unity but we need to expand the tent.
The Christian view can be stated by democratic candidates. Why should Republicans take that banner. When Trump is replaced by a more tasteful candidate Democrats should worry!!
A candidate can say, Jesus said, I set before you life and death... but choose life" , when it comes to abortion.
We need to make sure elections are fair!
There are foreign governments trying to effect our elections. There is Fox News that has been subverting the truth for money for years. And then there is tRump himself who doesn't seem to know the diference. And maybe the most subversive af all is the supreme court. How do you govern by laws when the courts are rigged?
The republicans fixed the 2016 election. And now the crooked Supreme Court said that it's ok to do that because they are republicans and can get away with it.
In Red states where the GOP has claimed the right to override the popular vote and send whatever electors the legislature wants to Washington, neither votes nor donations will help. A vote that is 90% for the democrats could still result in a Republican win by cheating. Joe has my vote. Republican is the party of insurrection, and I will not vote for any Republican because of that, but I still fear for the result of this election. Gerrymandering, voter supression, misinformation, and legislative fraud are the more difficult kinds of cheating to counteract. Vots alone might not be enough, if they just ignore the votes!
This needs to be reighed in.
I'm very concerned about the election interference and it's outcome.
Interestingly, the individuals who speak the loudest about the invalidity of the last presidential election are the same ones who have actively interfered with a fair election process. Our election system needs a comprehensive overhaul, but we must take a nonpartisan approach. This task is beyond the capabilities of our current politicians.
If we were to eliminate the Electoral College, we could eliminate the idea of states being labeled "red" or "blue." When each person's vote counts in the election process, the political leaning of the area becomes less significant. Currently, if you live in an area dominated by one party, some people don't vote because their vote feels insignificant. Additionally, we could make voting more accessible by allowing every citizen to vote by mail, making election day a national holiday, and enabling people to vote in person for at least three days before the election. Our primary focus should be making voting easier while ensuring the process's security.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/20/politics/video/andrew-mccabe-response-steve-bannon-trump-ac360-digvid?cid=ios_app
From the horses mouth - draw your own conclusions
make the wrong choice and america ceases to exist
as it is the US has no standing in the world community as it once enjoyed thanks to a progressive erosion of institutions
Donald Trump and republicans fixed the 2016 election and tried to 2020 election now trying to fixed 2024. He's running for one reason to stay out of jail.
The US is not only at a major crossroads at home but also in the world which requires a seasoned professional to lead it through this intense minefield - not a bozo and idiots who waste 99% of their time destroying their own country!
a) scotus imbalance
b) economic reshoring
c) checking wanton corporate gouging and consumer protection
d) womens rights
e) taiwan and south china sea - the only language the chinese understand is economic barriers - let them sell their goods to russia, north korea & iran / lets see if they are going to earn them a dime of profit?
f) ukraine
g) vietnam red carpet for putin - apparently they have not understood that the US has alternatives to their shrimp, catfish, furniture & garments!
h) israel - time to cut lose tail wagging the dog and force a 2 state solution with UN approved borders
the list is long
if we miss this crossing we wipe out at least 2 centuries of progress!
I am extremely worried about the Mega crowd excepting a loss at the polls! I am very concerned as the former president continues to spread misinformation about the 2020 election, and is already telling the Mega crowd that this election will be rigged!
The former president's lawyers went to court over and over in state after state and had NO evidence that stoud up in court!
I am very concerned that my Minnesota First district Republican Brad Finstad with buy into this misinformation propaganda again!
Rep Finstad has failed in so many ways in this term, from failing to support Ukraine, and failing to support a bipartisan bill to greatly improve security at the boarder!
Now Brad want bipartisan support for his farm bill that again gives huge tax breaks to the top one percent of Farmers!
To the ceo's of america, members of republican congress, evangelicals...
will you hire trump in any capacity in your organization or institution?
will you want your children to emulate trump as a role model?
will you trust leaving your daughters st mar-a-lago?
if any of your answers are yes - go ahead vote for him & support / fund him!
The crooked Supreme Court needs to go they are political it should be about laws not politics. Please got rid of this court they are corrupt.