Facebook Tightens Rules Against Voter Intimidation Ahead of 2020 Election
New Policy Targets Militarized Language in Poll Watching Efforts
Facebook announced significant updates to its content policy on Wednesday, explicitly prohibiting posts that encourage poll watching using militarized language or intimidating tactics. The social media giant stated it will remove content containing terms like “army” or “battle” when related to election monitoring—a move that directly addresses recent Trump campaign efforts.
Key Policy Changes:
- Explicit ban on content using militarized language for poll watching
- Prohibition of posts intending to intimidate voters or election officials
- Removal of calls for “coordinated interference” at polling places
Trump Campaign Content Under Scrutiny
The policy update appears to specifically target a video posted by Donald Trump Jr. last month, which called for supporters to “enlist now” in an “army for Trump election security operation.” Facebook Vice President of Content Policy Monika Bickert confirmed that such content would now be removed under the updated guidelines.
“Under the new policy if that video were to be posted again, we would indeed remove it,” Bickert stated during a press call.
Addressing Growing Concerns About Voter Intimidation
While legitimate poll watching is a standard election practice, experts warn that recent efforts have crossed into voter intimidation territory. The new rules aim to prevent the weaponization of poll watchers to spread unfounded claims about election fraud.
Important context:
- Poll watching laws vary significantly by state
- Some states limit the number of poll watchers and require identification
- Civil rights organizations helped develop Facebook’s updated policy
Election Integrity Measures Expand Beyond Content Moderation
Facebook is implementing several additional safeguards as the 2020 election approaches:
Political Ad Restrictions
- Temporary ban on all U.S. political ads after polls close November 3
- Notification system to alert advertisers when ads can resume
Election Night Information Controls
- Prominent notifications about vote counting status in Facebook/Instagram feeds
- Fact-checking labels for premature victory declarations
- Viral content review system to quickly identify and limit misinformation
Broader Context: Protecting Democratic Processes
The policy changes come amid growing concerns about election-related misinformation and President Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transition of power. Voting rights advocates have applauded the moves while emphasizing the ongoing threat of voter suppression.
“Donald Trump is not interested in election integrity, he’s interested in voter suppression,” said VoteAmerica Founder Debra Cleaver. “Sending armed vigilantes to the polls is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, unless you believe that Black and Brown people voting is a problem.”
Recent Enforcement Actions Show Policy Shift
Facebook’s announcement follows several notable actions:
- Banning QAnon content across its platforms
- Removing a post where President Trump downplayed COVID-19 severity
- Implementing new systems to detect rule-breaking content before it goes viral
These measures represent Facebook’s most aggressive steps yet to address election-related misinformation as the November election approaches.
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