Populists like Donald Trump have used Twitter to his enormous political advantage. But the popular social media platform is failing to bring to heel the bots and fake accounts that can and have interfered with democracy.
(AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Bots and fake accounts on Twitter helped sway the U.S. presidential election in 2016. Here’s how the social media platform has purportedly tried, and failed, to combat threats to democracy.
Facebook’s actions – or inactions – facilitated breaches of privacy and human rights associated with democratic governance.
EPA/Peter DaSilva
Michael Wade, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
How data-driven behavioural sciences are being road tested in the political sphere.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller (centre) has laid the first charges from his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Reuters/Aaron Bernstein
The indictments issued against a company and 13 individuals show a determination to disrupt the presidential campaign, but there is no allegation of collusion with Donald Trump’s team.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton concedes the 2016 presidential election.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Yes, votes are cast based on many factors. But a new survey and analysis suggests that belief in fake news could have been decisive during the 2016 election.
Trump’s first walk to the White House, inauguration day 2017.
EPA/Evan Vucci
Gordon Hull, University of North Carolina – Charlotte
A scholar asks whether democracy itself is at risk in a world where social media is creating deeply polarized groups of individuals who tend to believe everything they hear.
Donald Trump’s overall approval ratings are low, but among his base they remain relatively strong.
Reuters/Joshua Roberts
Whether they were motivated by enthusiasm or ire toward the candidates, the 2016 election captured the attention of US college and university students nationwide.
What’s the meme war all about?
Star Wars Memes/Facebook
The term “meme” was coined in 1976. Today, these cultural artefacts have gone viral, and are redrawing the boundaries of acceptable political discourse.
The much-anticipated meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump finally took place at the G20 summit in Hamburg.
Reuters/Carlos Barria
A recent study from the Tisch College of Civil Life at Tufts looks at millennials’ civic engagement – and finds some cause for concern in rural, suburban and urban areas.
Director James Comey makes it official: The FBI is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
The 2016 election made clear that the Electoral College does not weigh votes from all states equally. A new analysis suggests the power of your vote is closely linked to voter turnout in your state.
Professor in U.S. Politics and U.S. Foreign Relations at the United States Studies Centre and in the Discipline of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
Professor of Economics and Finance. Director of the Betting Research Unit and the Political Forecasting Unit at Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University