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

How Big Tech platforms are neglecting their non-English language users

Social media bosses must invest in guarding global elections against incitement of hate and violence

A world of online hate and lies: Mapping our investigations into social media platforms’ failure to tackle hate and disinformation

Where Big Tech and climate change meet – perspectives on accountability and action

Facebook, YouTube and TikTok approve for publication violent xenophobic hate in South Africa

“We need to kill them”: Xenophobic hate speech approved by Facebook, TikTok and YouTube

New evidence of Facebook’s sexist algorithm

Facebook accused of gender discrimination, new research finds bias in advertising algorithm

Global Hating

TikTok grilled by Congress – and pressed on our findings

Appeal to the Meta Oversight Board on widespread and repeated failures by Meta to implement its content moderation policies

Extreme and violent anti-LGBTQ+ hate approved for publication by leading social media platforms

Facebook approves for publication ads with death threats and calls to violence following violent protests in Brazil

Brazil insurrection: Social media platforms must act to stop spread of disinformation and calls to violence

Exposing social media platforms’ failures to protect their users

Facebook failed to detect death threats against election workers ahead of US midterm elections

“We’re going to kill you all”: Death threats against US election workers approved on Facebook

Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter highlights the need for government regulation of social media companies

Meta approves ads promoting manifesto of far-right terrorist Breivik in Norway

An open door to hate: Meta approves ads containing far-right hate speech in Norwegian

TikTok and Facebook fail to detect election disinformation in the US, while YouTube succeeds

Facebook and TikTok fail to block deceptive ads with blatant US midterms disinformation

After repeated warnings YouTube and Facebook continue to approve blatant disinformation on their platforms ahead of tense Brazilian presidential run off

In run up to tense Brazilian Presidential vote, Facebook still failing to prevent spread of election disinformation

Online disinformation threatens the integrity of the Brazilian presidential election

Rehashing existing policies by Facebook not enough to combat election disinformation in Brazil

Open letter to Meta, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube concerning the upcoming Brazilian election

Facebook fails to tackle election disinformation ads ahead of tense Brazilian election

Facebook approves election disinformation ads ahead of tense Brazil election

Is Facebook Putting Kenya’s Democracy At Risk?

Use “break glass” measures and suspend ads to protect Kenyan election, rights groups and Frances Haugen demand

Facebook approves ads calling for ethnic violence in the lead up to a tense Kenyan election