Disinformation on social media – false or misleading content intended to deceive or promote discord – plagued the 2016 and 2018 elections. It’s slated to get a lot worse, according to a new report looking toward the 2020 campaign season. The report’s author, Paul M. Barrett, explains why Russian influence will be just one of many concerns, and discusses which social media platform will likely carry the most disinformation to its users.

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What people read online could really disrupt society and politics. igorstevanovic/Shutterstock.com

How disinformation could sway the 2020 election

Paul M. Barrett, New York University

The Russians won’t be alone in spreading disinformation in 2020. Their most likely imitator will be Iran. Also, Instagram could get even more infected with intentional misinformation than it has been.

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