Preventing Tech-Fueled Political Violence

On the heels of reporting that far right extremist militias are once again organizing on Facebook inadvance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, it is urgent for platforms to assess – and immediatelyact on – threats to the peaceful conduct of elections and the holding and transfer of power.On March 26th, 2024, a working group of experts met to discuss the relationship between onlineplatforms and election-related political violence. The goal was to provide realistic and effectiverecommendations to platforms on steps they can take to ensure their products do not contribute to thepotential for political violence, particularly in the lead-up and aftermath of the U.S. general election inNovember, but with implications for states around the world.Relying on online platforms to “do the right thing” without regulatory and business incentives thatreinforce pro-democratic conduct may seem increasingly futile, but we believe there remains a criticalrole for independent experts to play in both shaping the public conversation and shining a light onwhere we believe these companies can act more responsibly.