Digital Threats to Democracy

Our survival depends on collective climate action, yet Big Tech companies have allowed divisions to flourish online for profit.

Fuelled by climate disinformation, polarising algorithms and toxic hate speech, digital platforms are undermining our ability to solve the world’s biggest issues together. Marginalised voices are routinely silenced. Disinformation campaigns are rife. The line between online debate and real-life violence is increasingly blurred. We’re testing how ready tech companies are to tackle these threats and enable a true digital civic space – one that enshrines informed discourse and the safety to speak out.

Digital Threats to Democracy

Latest

TikTok still approving election disinformation ads in Ireland

TikTok fails to detect disinformation ahead of Irish general election

Asleep at the wheel: Meta fails to review hate speech on US Senate candidates’ pages in over three days

"AI-generated" is the new "fake news"

Scores of suspicious accounts on X promote the Azerbaijan government’s messages on COP

#COP29 targeted by network of accounts pushing Azeri Government messaging

Before US election, TikTok and Facebook fail to block harmful disinformation. YouTube succeeds

TikTok and Facebook fail to detect harmful disinformation advertisements – putting US election at risk

Disinformation dollars: How Google earns money from and funds articles that promote climate denial

Google ads on far-right website that promotes climate denial, raise close to $1.5 million

Conspiracy and toxicity: X’s AI chatbot Grok shares disinformation in replies to political queries

Crowd Control: Losing Meta’s transparency tool poses a threat to democracy

No ifs, many bots? Partisan bot-like accounts continue to amplify divisive content on X, generating over 4 billion views since the UK general election was called

Newly identified bot-like accounts are generating billions of impressions, sowing division and spreading disinformation on X

New investigation reveals political bias on X’s AI chatbot that risks influencing the UK vote

Investigation reveals content posted by bot-like accounts on X has been seen 150 million times ahead of the UK elections

Posts from bot-like accounts spreading disinformation and hate viewed more than 150 million times ahead of the UK election

The climate crisis is here, but climate disinformation still isn’t a priority for tech companies

Online dangers to freedom of expression and climate communication: UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event

TikTok and YouTube pass new test to detect foreign election disinformation ads in UK, but questions remain about their practices elsewhere

Online reaction to first UK General Election debate makes clear: misinformation fueled climate culture war not going away

Privacy win: LinkedIn limits ad targeting after complaint by campaigners

TikTok approves misleading election disinformation ads for publication in Ireland ahead of EU elections

Ticked off: TikTok approves EU elections disinformation ads for publication in Ireland

Far right media outlet referred to Advertising Standards Authority after spending thousands on UK climate denial adverts

"Arctic ice is not melting": Far right newspaper promotes climate disinformation on Meta

YouTube approves disinformation ads in India ahead of general election

“Votes will not be counted”: Indian election disinformation ads and YouTube

YouTube and Indian social media platform Koo enable misogynistic hate speech, violating platform policies

Letting hate flourish: YouTube and Koo’s lax response to the reporting of hate speech against women in India and the US

Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube and TikTok approve violent misogynistic hate speech adverts for publication in South Africa

“Female stupidity at its best. They all need to die.”: Violent and sexualised hate speech targeting women approved for publication by social media platforms