Before we ever knew of the term “fake news” or understood the disruptive power of digital technologies in our elections, Ireland was a canary in the coal mine.
During the final TV debate before the 2011 presidential election, a tweet making false allegations was read out live on air, effectively derailing the campaign of Independent candidate Seán Gallagher. Fast forward to this year’s presidential election. Even before nominations closed earlier this week, unsubstantiated claims online were already shaping the conversation. Unlike 2011, this wasn’t a single post but a campaign, carried out across multiple platforms, piped into the feeds of hundreds of thousands of voters.
This time round, it is Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin grappling with the darker side of social media. And as it stands, the Electoral Commission, responsible for safeguarding our elections, is unable to compel platforms to operate with greater accountability.
Two weeks ago, a string of highly defamatory claims about Gav
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