TikTok and Facebook approved advertisements containing blatant US election falsehoods just weeks ahead of the vote, a watchdog investigation revealed Thursday, calling into question the tech platforms' policies to detect harmful disinformation.
The advocacy group Global Witness submitted eight ads containing false election claims to the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok, the Meta-owned Facebook, and Google-owned YouTube to test their ad systems in the final stretch of the November 5 election.
kAm%96 25D 42CC:65 @FEC:89E 6=64E:@? 72=D69@@5D \\ DF49 2D A6@A=6 42? G@E6 @?=:?6 \\ 2D H6== 2D 4@?E6?E AC@>@E:?8 G@E6C DFAAC6DD:@?[ :?4:E:?8 G:@=6?46 282:?DE 2 42?5:52E6[ 2?5 E9C62E6?:?8 6=64E@C2= H@C<6CD 2?5 AC@46DD6D]k^Am
kAm%:<%@< QA6C7@C>65 E96 H@CDE[Q v=@32= (:E?6DD D2:5[ 2AAC@G:?8 7@FC @7 E96> 56DA:E6 :ED A@=:4J E92E AC@9:3:ED 2== A@=:E:42= 25D]k^Am
kAmu2463@@< 2AAC@G65 @?6 @7 E96 25D DF3>:EE65]k^Am
kAmQs2JD 2H2J 7C@> 2 E:89E=J 7@F89E &$ AC6D:56?E:2= C246[ :E :D D9@4<:?8 E92E D@4:2= >65:2 4@>A2?:6D 2C6 DE:== 2AAC@G:?8 E9@C@F89=J 563F?<65 2?5 3=2E2?E 5:D:?7@C>2E:@? @? E96:C A=2E7@C>D[Q D2:5 pG2 {66[ E96 5:8:E2= E9C62ED 42>A2:8? =6256C 2E v=@32= (:E?6DD]k^Am
kAm%96 DEF5J 4@>6D 2D C6D62C496CD H2C? @7 E96 8C@H:?8 A6C:=D @7 5:D:?7@C>2E:@? \– 3@E9 7C@> 5@>6DE:4 24E@CD 2?5 7@C6:8? :?7=F6?46 @A6C2E:@?D –\ 5FC:?8 2 E:89E 6=64E:@? C246 36EH66? E96 s6>@4C2E:4 4@?E6?56C[ ':46 !C6D:56?E z2>2=2 w2CC:D[ 2?5 #6AF3=:42? ?@>:?66 s@?2=5 %CF>A]k^Am
kAmQx? a_ac[ 6G6CJ@?6 <?@HD E96 52?86C @7 6=64E@C2= 5:D:?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 9@H :>A@CE2?E :E :D E@ 92G6 BF2=:EJ 4@?E6?E >@56C2E:@? :? A=246[Q {66 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6VD ?@ 6I4FD6 7@C E96D6 A=2E7@C>D E@ DE:== 36 AFEE:?8 56>@4C2E:4 AC@46DD6D 2E C:D<]QÂ k^Am
k9am\ vC@H:?8 D4CFE:?J \k^9am
kAmp %:<%@< DA@<6DH@>2? D2:5 7@FC @7 E9@D6 25D H6C6 Q:?4@CC64E=J 2AAC@G65 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE DE286 @7 >@56C2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmQ(6 5@ ?@E 2==@H A@=:E:42= 25G6CE:D:?8 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 6?7@C46 E9:D A@=:4J @? 2? @?8@:?8 32D:D[Q D96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmp |6E2 DA@<6DH@>2? AFD965 324< 282:?DE E96 7:?5:?8D[ D2J:?8 E96J H6C6 32D65 @? 2 D>2== D2>A=6 @7 25D 2?5 E96C67@C6 Q?@E C67=64E:G6 @7 9@H H6 6?7@C46 @FC A@=:4:6D 2E D42=6]Qk^Am
kAmQ!C@E64E:?8 E96 a_ac 6=64E:@?D @?=:?6 :D @?6 @7 @FC E@A AC:@C:E:6D[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAmv=@32= (:E?6DD D2:5 E96 25 2AAC@G65 3J u2463@@< 72=D6=J 4=2:>65 E92E @?=J A6@A=6 H:E9 2 G2=:5 5C:G6CVD =:46?D6 42? G@E6]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= &$ DE2E6D C6BF:C6 G@E6CD AC@G:56 2 A9@E@ xs[ 3FE 5@ ?@E D2J E92E :E >FDE 36 2 5C:G6CVD =:46?D6]k^Am
kAmv=@32= (:E?6DD D2:5 *@F%F36 :?:E:2==J 2AAC@G65 92=7 @7 E96 25D DF3>:EE65[ 3FE 3=@4<65 E96:C AF3=:42E:@? F?E:= 7@C>2= :56?E:7:42E:@?[ DF49 2D 2 A2DDA@CE @C 5C:G6CVD =:46?D6[ H2D AC@G:565]k^Am
kAm%96 H2E495@8 42==65 E92EÂ 2 QD:8?:7:42?E=J >@C6 C@3FDE 32CC:6C 7@C 5:D:?7@C>2E:@?\DAC6256CDQ 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 @E96C A=2E7@C>D]k^Am
kAm!=2E7@C>D 2C6 724:?8 8C@H:?8 D4CFE:?J 7@==@H:?8 E96 492@E:4 DAC625 @7 5:D:?7@C>2E:@? :? E96 27E6C>2E9 @7 E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@?[ H:E9 %CF>A 2?5 9:D DFAA@CE6CD 492==6?8:?8 E96 @FE4@>6 27E6C 9:D 56762E E@ y@6 q:56?]k^Am
kAmv@@8=6 @? %9FCD52J D2:5 :E H:== QE6>A@C2C:=J A2FD6 25DQ C6=2E65 E@ E96 6=64E:@?D 27E6C E96 =2DE A@==D 4=@D6 @? }@G6>36C d]k^Am
kAm%96 E649 8:2?E D2:5 E96 >62DFC6[ 2=D@ :?EC@5F465 5FC:?8 E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@?[ H2D 6IA64E65 E@ =2DE 2 76H H66<D 2?5 H2D 36:?8 :>A=6>6?E65 Q@FE @7 2? 23F?52?46 @7 42FE:@? 2?5 E@ =:>:E E96 A@E6?E:2= 7@C 4@?7FD:@?[Q 8:G6? E96 =:<6=:9@@5 E92E G@E6 4@F?E:?8 H:== 4@?E:?F6 27E6C t=64E:@? s2J]k^Am
kAm$6A2C2E6=J[ |6E2 92D D2:5 :E H:== 3=@4< ?6H A@=:E:42= 25D 5FC:?8 E96 7:?2= H66< @7 E96 6=64E:@? 42>A2:8?]k^Am
kAm24^;84k^Am
Recommended for you
Votebeat examines the current translation practices for Navajo voters in Arizona, and where they fall short when providing the full picture. Click for more.How Arizona tackles a language barrier to provide Navajo voters a ballot they can listen to
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.