More Than 120 Civil Rights And Democracy Groups Call On Social Media Giants To Act Immediately To Combat Election Disinformation Ahead Of Midterms

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More than 120 civil rights, democracy, and public interest groups, including Democracy 21, called on the major social media companies to combat and curb election disinformation on their platforms ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

In a May 12 letter to the CEOs of Meta (Facebook), Twitter, YouTube, Snap, Instagram, TikTok, and Alphabet (Google), the groups urged the platforms to take a variety of specific actions “to reduce the spread and amplification of disinformation, consistent enforcement of robust civic integrity policies, and greater transparency into business models that allow disinformation to spread.”

The group letter was coordinated by Center for American Progress, Common Cause, Free Press, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

The groups outlined eight essential measures the platforms must implement immediately in order to protect the integrity of the 2022 midterm elections and the public’s confidence in American democracy.

“[I]f you allow disinformation about elections to spread largely unchecked, your platforms will become known as the dominant threat to a thriving democratic process,” the groups wrote. “As the 2022 midterm elections approach, we urge you to take this opportunity to demonstrate that your companies are committed to playing a productive role in the democratic process.”

Read the full letter here.

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