Monthly Archives: November 2020
Viral videos of poll workers filling in ballots don't show what Trump supporters want you to believe
Misinformation about the election count continues to rapidly spread throughout social media. One particularly false, viral claim that has been passed around among Trump supporters on platforms like Facebook and Twitter over the past few days: Poll workers are filling out ballots at the counting centers in order to steal the election from the president. […]
GoFundMe pulls viral campaign that promised to uncover 'voter fraud' without evidence of voter fraud
The online crowdfunding company GoFundMe removed a viral campaign which could be read to imply the existence of widespread voter fraud Friday, placing itself firmly in the role of attempting to dispel election misinformation. As the U.S. presidential election vote count continued to drag on Friday afternoon, and the Trump campaign worked to delegitimize ballots, […]
We proudly present Baby Yoda Cuteness Bingo
If you’re only watching The Mandalorian for a brief respite from reality in the Force-sensitive arms of gentle baby Yoda… we forgive you. Seriously, you don’t have to care at all about the wider Star Wars canon (though that is pretty cool). We see you, and we accept you. What is The Child if not […]
Facebook considers becoming mildly less convenient in hopes of saving democracy
Facebook is awash with election misinformation. And so, two days after the U.S. presidential election, it has decided to add “friction” to its spread. So reports the New York Times, which notes that Facebook is considering the bold action of requiring “an additional click or two — before people can share posts and other content.” […]
IGTV and Facebook Live are blind spots in Facebook's election misinformation fight
Thanks to labeling and fact checking, President Trump is having more trouble than usual spewing his lies on Facebook and Twitter. But his followers are happy to take up the mantle, falsely alleging voter fraud and making premature declarations of victory, on parts of the internet that are more difficult to moderate. That includes the […]
Walmart's Black Friday deals have begun — save $67 on a Roomba 670
Save $67: As of 7 p.m. ET Nov. 4, the iRobot Roomba 670 vacuum is on sale for $177 at Walmart. We’re not even a full week into November and yet the Black Friday deals have begun. Yup, you read that right. This year, there’s no need to wait for the turkey to be cooked, […]
Maine voters double down on facial recognition ban in win for privacy
Residents of Portland, Maine, can now officially sue the bastards. In a robust show of doubling down on privacy protections, voters in the Maine city passed a measure Tuesday replacing and strengthening an existing ban on city official’s use of facial recognition technology. While city employees were already prohibited from using the controversial tech, this […]
Late night hosts do grim rapid-fire summaries of Trump's last 4 years
Election Day is finally here. And while Donald Trump spent his last hours on the campaign trail trashing random celebrities, late night show hosts took time to reflect on the last four years — in particular, the many lies, abuses of power, and scandals that have characterized the president’s time in office. On Late Night, […]
Robocalls, WeChat messages, and more spread misinformation on Election Day
It’s Nov. 3, Election Day, and you know what that means: Misinformation will be flooding the internet. There are people who don’t want Americans to vote, and will try to sow fear, confusion, and apathy to keep them from the polls. Don’t let them scare you. Haven’t voted yet? Find your polling place. (Some […]
Why the flood of misinformation in Pennsylvania is a huge problem
We might not know who won Pennsylvania until the end of the week. That leaves a lot of time for misinformation to spread like wildfire — and help Republicans create the impression the election was “stolen” from them. Thanks to a Supreme Court decision, the state’s 2.5 million mail-in ballots can be counted if they […]