Read on Twitter
If you thought disinformation on Facebook was a problem during our election, just wait until you see how it is shredding the fabric of our democracy in the days after.
Look at what has happened in just the past week.
Look at what has happened in just the past week.
Steve Bannon literally called for the beheading of FBI Director Wray and Dr. Fauci in a video on November 3. It was live on Facebook for 10 hours before it was removed after a journalist inquired about the video.
Bannon? His page is still live on Facebook.
Bannon? His page is still live on Facebook.
In the days after Election Day, Facebook is flooded with thousands of calls for violence. Some of them are taken down, but many are left up for hours, if not days. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-facebook-focus/thousands-of-facebook-groups-buzzed-with-calls-for-violence-ahead-of-u-s-election-idUSKBN27M2UN
Unsurprisingly, Breitbart was an early amplifier and legitimizer of “voter fraud” misinformation on Facebook, writing “The Steal is On” early Tuesday afternoon after citing numerous debunked conspiracy theories.
Breitbart distribution should have been reduced on Facebook for multiple misinformation violations, but Facebook’s policy team intervened to remove misinformation strikes from its account. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sensitive-claims-bias-facebook-relaxed-misinformation-rules-conservative-pages-n1236182
The result? Facebook-enabled mobilization of conspiracy theorists using “Stop the Steal” groups ballooned to over 300k members, before finally being taken down under pressure.
After Facebook removed the initial group, multiple new “stop the steal” groups formed and grew rapidly.
After Facebook removed the initial group, multiple new “stop the steal” groups formed and grew rapidly.
In its wake, Donald Trump voter fraud and election victory lies represented 17 of the top 20 posts on FB between 11/3-11/8. While Twitter disabled sharing of Trump’s election disinformation, Facebook continued to actively promote the posts in feeds.
It continues. Today, a Team Trump “voter fraud” disinformation press conference -- so full of lies that Fox News had to cut away -- ran unmediated on Facebook. After being prompted, Facebook added a woefully ineffective closable label to it.
We knew this would happen. We pleaded with Facebook for over a year to be serious about these problems. They have not.
Our democracy is on the line. We need answers.
Our democracy is on the line. We need answers.
I don't have a soundcloud, but I do want to be sure the Biden Fight Fund has the resources to overcome any Facebook-fueled conspiracies and misinformation. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bff-social?refcode=billrusso
