President Donald Trump first nominated Texas election law attorney Trey Trainor to the Federal Election Commission in September 2017. Then, Trainor waited. Days turned to months, months into years. Trump kept re-nominating Trainor. The U.S. Senate kept ignoring Trainor’s nomination.Source: Blog...
The Federal Election Commission agreed Thursday to take public comments on a petition to close a loophole that allowed former presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg to transfer millions to the Democratic National Committee.Source: FEC to take public comments on petition to close ‘Bloomberg loophole’...
YouTube’s controversial “hate speech” and “harassment” rules have greatly restricted what users are allowed to say on the platform by dishing out harsh punishments for jokes, criticism, and other types of language that YouTube decides has gone “too far.Source: YouTube CEO: We’ll remove “hate speech” from elected officials but media outlets are allowed to reupload it with their own “context”...
The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy. Subscribe here. Programming note: The Interface is off on Thursday. Back on Monday.Source: Turning off political ads on Facebook could have unpredictable consequences...
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) has collected a number of supporters for her bill banning microtargeted political ads. “Political speech is critical to democratic discourse, but organized disinformation and organic misinformation use microtargeting and prevent ideas from being debated in the open.Source: Bill Banning Microtargeted Political Ads Draws Crowd...
A bill to give all California registered, active voters a ballot by mail this November is on its way to the governor’s desk.Source: California bill to give every voter a mail-in ballot headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An appellate judge on Wednesday stayed a lower court’s order barring Gov. Gavin Newsom from issuing directives that might conflict with state law, freeing him to take additional executive actions during the coronavirus pandemic.Source: Appeals Court Knocks Down GOP Challenge To Newsom's Emergency Powers...
For months, Facebook has endured criticism for its policy that allows politicians to run political ads containing false information on its services. The policy has been criticized by activists and by presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.Source: Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook will allow users to turn off political ads...
The 2020 election is going to be unlike any other. It was already going to be a heated campaign, and that was before the pandemic — and before the killing of George Floyd and so many others forced us yet again to confront the painful reality of systemic racism in America.Source: Mark Zuckerberg: Historic Facebook campaign will boost voter registration, turnout...
Social media posts falsely claim donations made on the Black Lives Matter website go “directly” to the Democratic party, because the group uses ActBlue Charities — an online fundraising platform. Donations go to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.Source: Donations to Black Lives Matter Group Don’t Go to DNC...
