Twitter Adds Fact-Checking Link To Trump’s Tweets Falsely Claiming Mail-In-Voting Leads To Fraud
The links lead to articles that offer bullet-point fact checks on President Donald Trump's false claims. Trump has been particularly vocal about his opposition to mail-in-voting as more states start to take steps to expand access in anticipation of a second virus wave in the fall. Meanwhile, Americans are spending more time on social media than ever -- and that's not a good thing as they encounter more and more disinformation.
Twitter added information to refute the inaccuracies in President Trump鈥檚 tweets for the first time on Tuesday, after years of pressure over its inaction on his false and threatening posts. The social media company added links late Tuesday to two of Mr. Trump鈥檚 tweets in which he had posted about mail-in ballots and falsely claimed that they would cause the November presidential election to be 鈥渞igged.鈥 The links 鈥 which were in blue lettering at the bottom of the posts and punctuated by an exclamation mark 鈥 urged people to 鈥済et the facts鈥 about voting by mail. (Conger and Alba, 5/26)
The tweets 鈥渃ontain potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots,鈥 a Twitter spokesman said. Twitter鈥檚 move was based on a policy announced earlier this month to apply fact-checking labels about the coronavirus and other disputed issues subject to misinformation, including the election. This marked the first time Twitter has applied the fact-checking label to a message about non-Covid news. (Ballhaus and Wells, 5/26)
The company has been tightening those policies in recent years amid criticism that its hands-off approach had allowed abuse, fake accounts and misinformation to thrive. Trump lashed out at the company in response, accusing it - in a tweet - of interfering in the 2020 presidential election. 鈥淭witter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!鈥 he said. (Paul and Culliford, 5/26)
Until now, the president has simply blown past Twitter鈥檚 half-hearted attempts to enforce rules intended to promote civility and 鈥渉ealthy鈥 conversation on its most prominent user. Trump frequently amplifies misinformation, spreads abuse and uses his pulpit to personally attack private citizens and public figures alike 鈥 all forbidden under Twitter鈥檚 official rules. (Ortutay and Hazell, 5/27)
For its 14-year existence, Twitter has allowed misinformation by world leaders and everyday citizens to spread virtually unchecked. Its leaders have long said users would engage in debate on the platform and correct false information on their own. But Trump has made many false claims on social media, particularly on his preferred medium of Twitter, and has also attacked people in ways that critics have argued could violate company policies on harassment and bullying. (Dwoskin, 5/26)
America's new socially distant reality has warped the landscape of the 2020 election. Candidates aren't out knocking on doors, and U.S. election officials are bracing for a record surge in mail ballots. And another subtler shift is also occurring 鈥 inside people's brains. (Parks, 5/27)
The crippling spread of COVID-19 across the globe has progressed in parallel with a flood of information online relating to the pandemic. The World Health Organization branded that spread as an "infodemic" earlier this year. The "infodemic" has highlighted the importance of readers identifying false information about the coronavirus and those who might be spreading it. Here's a look at potential sources of false information and a few quick embedded tips to deal with it. (Bell and Gallagher, 5/26)
