According to Free Press, “The problem is just as dire in advance of the 2022 U.S. midterms as it was during the nation’s 2020 elections.”In particular, the report found that the major social media networks have:- Failed to clearly update their election integrity systems in time for the elections;- Created a labyrinth of company commitments, announcements, and policies that make it difficult to assess what they’re really doing, if anything, to protect users; and- Failed to close what they call “newsworthiness” or “public interest” exceptions that give prominent users and politicians a “get out of jail free” card and allow them to post lies without consequences from the platforms.Free Press warned that these failures are likely to be felt not only at polling stations on November 8, “but also on the streets.”“The unchecked spread of online lies about the 2020 election fueled real-world violence on January 6,” said Nora Benavidez, report author and senior counsel and director of digital justice and civil rights at Free Press.“And although most people in the United States now believe that Big Tech should do more to curb the online spread of disinformation and incitements to violence, social media companies keep failing to protect users.”As the report notes:Change the Terms, a coalition of more than 60 civil and consumer rights organizations, developed a set of 15 priority reforms for social media companies to implement ahead of the midterm elections that would fight algorithmic amplification of hate and lies, protect users across all languages, and increase company transparency.“Even in writing, platforms like Meta, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube can’t commit to the most basic online protections to limit the spread of disinformation and hate,” said Benavidez.https://t.co/ItHXnYJo9q— Nora Benavidez (@AttorneyNora) October 28, 2022Free Press urged Facebook parent company Meta, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube to take the following steps to stem the spread of bigotry and lies on their platforms:- Stop amplifying hate and disinformation content and implement algorithms without discrimination;- Protect people equally around the world and across languages through increased resourcing for civic integrity teams year-round; and- Boost transparency about company business models and moderation and enforcement practices, ensuring access to data for external researchers and journalists."