Campaign Legal Center Makes Recommendations to Meta Oversight Board to Combat Political Misinformation Online

In comments submitted today to the Oversight Board of Meta, Campaign Legal Center made specific recommendations regarding the importance of transparency as an election integrity tool, and the risks of harm posed to the democratic process by mis- and disinformation disseminated during an election cycle, including the post-election period. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted public comments (linked here) to the Oversight Board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, regarding political misinformation and ongoing threats to democratic processes and institutions.  

“The public has a right to know who is paying for messages on Meta’s platforms seeking to influence elections,” said Erin Chlopak, senior director for campaign finance at Campaign Legal Center. “Meta is well positioned to provide information that enables voters to fully evaluate the credibility of election-related content and the motivations of those who pay to disseminate it on Meta’s platforms. Meta has a mixed history of adhering to its own requirements, making it clear that more can be done to increase transparency – which is one of the most important tools available to secure elections.” 

“Meta has a responsibility to maintain the highest level of scrutiny and moderation of election-related content on its platforms,” said Catherine Hinckley Kelley, senior director for policy and strategic partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. “From threats of violence against election workers to the January 6th attack on our country, we’ve seen the harm caused by misinformation even after the polls have closed. The removal and demotion of misleading or threatening content meant to disrupt the democratic process is a critical safeguard against future attempts to overturn election results.”