Facebook is reportedly preparing for a scenario in which President Donald Trump or his campaign use their platform to discredit the results of the November election, according to the New York Times.
Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly holding daily meetings with staff regarding how to minimize efforts to delegitimize election results on Facebook, The New York Times reported Friday.
One potential strategy that was reportedly discussed included a temporary “kill switch” on political advertising after the election. Facebook’s plan to counter potential election misinformation accelerated in recent weeks in response to the president’s claims that a mail-in election could lead to voter fraud, The Times reported. (RELATED: Facebook Announces Restrictions On Groups Like QAnon And Antifa)
Facebook also asked those involved in government, think tanks and academia to participate in the research regarding potential election situations, per the NYT.
Zuckerberg considered banning political ads on Facebook in 2019 but ended up deciding against it, insisting his platform stands for free speech, according to CNBC.
“Political ads can be an important part of voice, especially for local candidates, up and coming challengers and advocacy groups that the media might not otherwise cover,” he said at the time.
FILE PHOTO: Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, U.S., October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott
Facebook executives told reporters in early August that the company has already begun to enforce election-related policies, removing more than 110,000 posts between March and June. Other Silicon Valley companies, such as Youtube and Twitter, are exploring similar plans to counter election misinformation but did not provide any details, according to The Times. (RELATED: More Than 120 International Nonprofits Ask Facebook To Create Anti-Semitism Policy)