elections
Meta AI removes block on election-related queries in India while Google still applies limits
Meta AI removes restrictions around answering election-related queries in India while Google is still restricting them.
Last week, Meta started testing its AI chatbot in India across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. But with the Indian general elections beginning today, the company is already blocking specific queries…
X rolls out support for posting Community Notes in India ahead of elections
Weeks before the national elections in India, Elon Musk-owned X said it is rolling out support for posting Community Notes — the company’s crowd-sourced fact-checking program — in the key…
This year, billions of people will vote in elections around the world. We will see — and have seen — high-stakes races in more than 50 countries, from Russia and…
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‘TikTok whisperer’ Annie Wu Henry on social media and 2024
Connecting with the youth is a craft that has long eluded the Olds — a demographic that’s less defined by age than it is by social media habits. Politicians, historically, have not prioritized young voter outreach. But in recent elections, the youth voter turnout cinched major wins for Democrats, and…
Daily Crunch: Google will unplug its IoT Core service in August 2023
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Today’s your last chance to vote for roundtable topics at TC Disrupt
Two weeks ago, we announced Audience Choice and asked you to cast your votes for the roundtable topics you most want to see this year at TechCrunch Disrupt on October…
WhatsApp and other social media platforms restricted in Zambia amidst ongoing elections
Several users from Zambia have taken to Twitter informing the general public that WhatsApp has been restricted in the country amidst ongoing general elections today. The president and parliamentary elections…
EveryAction acquires Mobilize, the Democratic volunteering platform
Nonprofit donor management platform EveryAction is buying Mobilize, a company that connects Democratic campaigns to volunteers and helps marshal activists toward progressive causes. Mobilize, formerly known as MobilizeAmerica, grew out…
More voting software FUD falls flat after Trump highlights dubious data
Reports that Dominion Software, which provides voting tabulation tools to about half the states in the U.S., “deleted” millions of votes have been soundly rebuffed after outgoing President Trump parroted…
TikTok takes down some hashtags related to election misinformation, ignores others
As social media platforms struggle to get U.S. election misinformation under control with varying degrees of success, TikTok has taken new actions to stop people from searching and browsing select…
Election Day was largely free from disruptive cyberattacks, as efforts shift to combating misinformation
Polls closed in the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday without any significant or disruptive cyberattacks, according to cybersecurity officials and experts. Election Day wasn’t without its problems. Some voting machines…
NBC News launches an iOS 14 widget that puts election results on your home screen
NBC News has updated its iOS app with a new feature that brings election news, data and results directly to your iPhone or iPad home screen. With the app’s new…
YC-backed nonprofit VotingWorks wants to rebuild trust in election systems through open source
I know it will come as a shock to you as a reader of the news, but there is an election this week. Well, tomorrow actually. It’s the rare election…
Twitter explains how it will handle misleading tweets about the US election results
Twitter recently updated its policies in advance of the U.S. elections to include specific rules that detailed how it would handle tweets making claims about election results before they were…
Google confirms post-Election Day political ad ban, partners with AP on election results
Google today announced several updates related to how it’s helping direct people to the polls, provide election results, and help people access real-time election news across its platforms and services,…
Digital vote-by-mail applications in most states are inaccessible to people with disabilities
The 2020 election is without a doubt going to be the biggest one in history for voting by mail, but people with disabilities may find it rather difficult to apply…
TikTok launches a US elections guide in its app
Though TikTok is in the middle of fighting off the Trump administration’s attempt to ban its app in the U.S. over data privacy concerns, the company today is launching a…
Mobile voting can ease polling place unease in the COVID-19 era
Failing to explore new options to prevent a voting disaster this fall amidst a global pandemic could have grave repercussions on the future of this nation.
Decrypted: Hackers show off their exploits as Black Hat goes virtual
Every year hackers descend on Las Vegas in the sweltering August heat to break ground on security research and the most innovative hacks. This year was no different, even if…
Twitter pledges to dial up efforts to combat election misinformation
In the latest sign of U.S. platforms bracing for the 2020 U.S. presidential election in November, Twitter has said it will step up efforts to prevent its service from being…
Facebook adds option for US users to turn off political ads, launches voting info hub
Beginning today, Facebook users in the U.S. will have the option to “turn off” all political advertising on the platform. The company made the controversial decision not to fact-check or…
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Anything less than nationwide vote by mail is electoral sabotage
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a light on decades of cumulative efforts to manipulate and suppress voters, showing that the country is completely unprepared for any serious challenge to its elections system. There can be no more excuses: Every state must implement voting by mail in 2020 or be prepared…
U.S. House approves remote voting, though the tech is unclear
Congress will allow remote voting for the first time in its history, after the U.S. House approved Resolution 965 late Friday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The measure —…
Vote.org founder launches VoteAmerica, a nonprofit using tech tools to help Americans vote by mail
With November looming, the scramble to protect the 2020 U.S. election from coronavirus chaos is on. To that end, a small, skilled cluster of voting rights advocates are launching a…
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Vote-by-mail should be having its moment. Will it?
It’s a mark of 2020 that the image of throngs of Americans flocking to polling places to exercise their right to vote, once a heartening symbol of democracy in action, is now a nightmare scenario that could visit widespread death on unsuspecting communities nationwide. In the midst of a viral…
We should not be debating whether online voting should exist, but rather asking: What is the most secure way to facilitate electronic voting?
Three-quarters of Americans lack confidence in tech companies’ ability to fight election interference
A significant majority of Americans have lost faith in tech companies’ ability to prevent the misuse of their platforms to influence the 2020 presidential election, according to a new study…
Apple partners with ABC on 2020 presidential coverage in the Apple News app
Apple announced today it will collaborate with ABC News on coverage of the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election in its Apple News app. The efforts will kick off with the Democratic…
Twitter is bringing back Election Labels to identify 2020 US election candidates
With just less than a year until U.S. Election Day, Twitter is bringing back its Election Labels, which provide information about political candidates — including which office they’re running for…
