U.S. President Donald Trump’s allies including some of his children are amplifying the president’s attacks on the election system’s integrity with online claims that test the rules set by social media companies against disinformation about the vote.
The president’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud on social media have been labeled as misleading. Similarly, a Nov. 5 tweet by his son, Donald Trump Jr., calling for "total war” was restricted by Twitter, and as was a post by Eric Trump claiming that Democrats are trying to steal the election.When the president has claimed without evidence that there is widespread voter fraud, his posts on social media have been labeled as misleading. Yet both the president and right-wing influencers are using seemingly benign phrases that nonetheless infer fraud — and avoid action by social media companies.
The online campaign is happening after Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. intensified their efforts to crack down on misinformation in the weeks leading up to Election Day, including placing labels on posts that sought to mislead users about mail-in ballots or voting requirements.