Google and Twitter Inc. said they are taking additional steps to tamp down misinformation about the U.S. election, as tech platforms scramble to address an expected flood of false claims and misleading posts ahead of the November vote. In separate announcements on Thursday, Twitter said it plans to more aggressively label or remove election-related tweets that include disputed or misleading information, while Google said it would screen more auto-complete suggestions to avoid voters being misled. Starting next week, Twitter said it would label or remove more false or misleading content that could undermine public confidence in an election as part of its civic-integrity policy. The changes could affect tweets claiming victory before election results have been certified; posting unverified information about ballot tampering or other matters that could undermine confidence; or including false or misleading information that causes confusion about laws, regulations, officials or institutions related to elections. Twitter’s existing policy already targets content that makes false claims on how to participate in civic processes, could suppress participation or claims false affiliation with a candidate or elected official.

Source: Wall Street Journal September 10, 2020 17:03 UTC