Seeing Rising Election Misinformation, Americans Say Social Media Platforms May Bear Responsibility for Political Violence
A recent Tech Policy Press / YouGov study reveals that 70% of Americans would likely cast some of the blame on social media platforms if political violence follows a contested election, though this sentiment is significantly stronger among Democrats (83%) than Republicans (57%).
TechPolicy.press
With the 2024 election upon us, Americans express growing concern about election-related misinformation on social media, with 65% believing the problem has worsened since 2020, according to a Tech Policy Press/YouGov survey of 1,089 voters fielded from October 24-25, 2024. The results reveal broad, bipartisan support for social media companies taking a more active role in content moderation, with 71% of respondents favoring platforms prioritizing the prevention of false claims over unrestricted expression and 72% believing political figures should be held to higher standards than regular users due to their outsized influence.
“Heading into the post-election period, clear majorities of Americans on both sides of the aisle want social media companies to do more to protect democracy,” noted Daniel Kreiss, a professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and a principal researcher of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at UNC Chapel Hill, who reviewed a copy of the poll results provided by Tech Policy Press.
Regarding specific interventions, voters show the strongest support for warning labels on potentially false content (56%), though views on more aggressive measures like account suspensions and permanent bans vary significantly by party affiliation. Notably, while Democrats and Republicans may differ on the appropriate extent of content moderation, the Congressional certification of election results emerges as one natural point for platforms to begin to more aggressively moderate election fraud claims and to take action on groups, pages, and accounts that propagate such claims.
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