A group of Democratic secretaries of state from several states, including Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Vermont, along with Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, have written a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking the company to stop allowing ads that claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen. They argue that such ads erode trust in elections and threaten the safety of election workers. The letter was also signed by the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, an organization affiliated with the Democratic National Committee, and was circulated only among Democrats. The Democratic secretaries of state are concerned about ads that perpetuate false claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, as well as similar campaign ads earlier this year that repeated these claims.
Despite numerous reviews, recounts, and audits confirming Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, conspiracy theories and false claims of widespread fraud persist, fueled in part by former President Donald Trump’s baseless allegations. Trump continues to insist, without evidence, that he won the election, and has made repeated false claims about his loss in states like Wisconsin. This misinformation has contributed to a hostile environment for election workers, with many facing death threats and harassment. A recent survey found that 34% of local election officials knew of colleagues who left their jobs due to safety fears, threats, or intimidation. This has resulted in a significant turnover of election workers across the country.
Social media platforms like Meta and YouTube have faced criticism for allowing content that promotes election denialism and spreads misinformation about past elections. YouTube announced a policy last year to stop removing content that falsely claimed previous U.S. presidential elections were tainted by fraud, while Meta has defended its efforts to protect elections globally. The company stated that it has a plan in place for the upcoming midterm elections in 2022 to review content and remove misinformation, including ads that question the legitimacy of an ongoing or upcoming election. However, the Democratic secretaries of state are specifically concerned about ads related to the 2020 election that continue to perpetuate false claims about the election’s outcome.
The Democratic secretaries of state argue that allowing ads that promote election denialism threatens to further undermine trust in the electoral system and depress voter turnout. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows emphasized the importance of voters knowing the truth about elections and feeling empowered to participate. By allowing ads that perpetuate false claims about the 2020 election, social media platforms like Meta risk fueling distrust in the democratic process and potentially inciting violence against election workers. The Democratic secretaries of state are urging Meta to repeal its policy allowing such ads in order to protect the integrity of elections and ensure public confidence in the electoral process.
The letter to Meta from the Democratic secretaries of state comes amid an ongoing battle to combat misinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election. The persistence of false claims of widespread fraud and manipulation of voting machines has created a toxic environment for election workers and undermined confidence in the electoral process. By allowing ads that promote election denialism, social media platforms risk exacerbating these issues and posing a threat to the democratic norms of the United States. The efforts of the Democratic secretaries of state to hold companies like Meta accountable for their role in spreading misinformation and protecting the integrity of elections are part of a broader push to safeguard the foundations of democracy and ensure fair and transparent electoral processes in the future.
