Please don't amplify conspiracy theories!

The reality is that it always takes time for some states to count all the votes; when these rumors started ramping up, there were over ten million uncounted ballots in California alone. But, many people don’t know that this is how things always work. So, with emotions high in the aftermath of the election, disinformation purveyors are taking advantage of the opportunity to get well-intentioned people to help amplify conspiracy theories.

If you see allegations of “millions of missing votes” or voting machine fraud, please don’t amplify them! Instead:

  • If it’s somebody you know, send them a private message letting them know that they’re unintentionally amplifying a false rumor.

  • If it’s not somebody you know, report it to the moderators as disinformation.

  • alekwithak@lemmy.world
    343·
    13 days ago

    This is ludicrous. If someone is claiming their vote has not been received or counted I’m absolutely going to amplify them and make sure they’re contacting the proper authorities.

    • b34k@lemmy.world
      49·
      13 days ago

      Even if they turn out to be a Russian troll, just trying to sow discord among the American public?

      • alekwithak@lemmy.world
        204·
        12 days ago

        Oh so when millions of accounts come out of nowhere to praise Orange Julius, call Kamala a genocider, and back Jill Stein those are real, but when someone with a credible web presence and years of posting history across various platforms claims their absentee ballot hasn’t been received* they’re a Russian troll? Get fucked.

        • b34k@lemmy.world
          31·
          12 days ago

          Nah, I’m all for auditing the results, and ensuring no fuckery went down. But when I see a bunch of commenters come out of now where and say that their vote wasn’t yet counted, I get skeptical. Especially when that’s the exact thing the other side was saying 4 years ago.

          Russias goal is to spark a civil war. They’ll come in and say whatever in favor of either side if they think it’ll increase the anger between them. Just be careful what you read.

    • The Nexus of Privacy@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
      92·
      12 days ago

      Sure, if it’s somebody you know or trust who’s saying this, then it’s not disinformation; agreed about helping them contact election officials and/or other authorities, and if you think it’s useful to amplify it, then I’m not trying to talk you out of it.

      If it’s not somebody you know or trust, then amplifying it is quite possibly helping out a disinformation campaign.

      And in any case, amplifying individual claims is very different from the unsupported claims about “millions of missing votes”, and that’s what I am trying to talk people out of.