Trump allies hinder disinformation research leading up to US election

A legal campaign led by allies of former US president Donald Trump requested an investigation within the misinformation research field, claiming an alleged conspiracy to censor conservative voices online. Under this investigation, academics in the field who worked at tracking election misinformation online were scrutinised daily, including regular scanning of their correspondence with AI software and searching for messages from government agencies or tech companies.

Disinformation has proliferated online as the US election approaches, especially after significant events such as the assassination attempt on Trump and President Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Due to the political scrutiny, researchers held back from publicly reporting some of their insights on misinformation issues related to public affairs.

Last month, the Supreme Court reversed a lower-court ruling restricting tech companies and the government from communicating about misinformation online. But the ruling hasn’t deterred Republicans from bringing lawsuits and sending a string of legal demands.

According to the investigation by The Washington Post, the GOP campaign has eroded the once thriving ecosystem of academics, nonprofits and tech industry initiatives dedicated to addressing the spread of misinformation online. Many prominent researchers in the field, like Claire Wardle, Stefanie Friedhoff, Ryan Calo and Kate Starbird, have expressed their concerns for academic freedom and democracy.