Facebook is reportedly preparing for various scenarios after the 2020 presidential election — including President Donald Trump using the social network to delegitimize the results.
Among the outcomes for which Facebook employees are planning include the possibility of Trump falsely declaring on the platform that he won the vote for another four-year term, The New York Times reported. The social network is also considering the possibility of Trump trying to invalidate the results by claiming the U.S. Postal Service lost mail-in ballots or that other groups interfered with the election, sources told the news outlet.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and some executives are meeting daily to discuss how to minimize the potential of the social network being used to dispute the upcoming election, the sources said. The idea of a “kill switch” to turn off political advertisements after the elections has reportedly been raised, as the ads could be used to spread misinformation.
The discussions remain fluid, according to three people familiar with Facebook’s plans. YouTube and Twitter have also discussed possible action plans for the period after the elections, according to the report.
Digital Trends has reached out to Facebook for confirmation of The New York Times’ report, as well as to YouTube and Twitter for comments on their post-election plans. We will update this article as soon as we hear back.
Facebook gearing up for 2020 elections
Facebook will be teaming up with the likes of Google, Microsoft, and Twitter to form a coalition that will work together with government agencies to fight against digital interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Part of Facebook’s efforts for this cause is its Voting Information Center, which provides credible resources to voters in the run-up to the election on November 3, the day itself, and during the counting process.
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