JUMPING THE GUN

Facebook Says It Won’t Let Trump Falsely Declare Victory on Election Night

If a candidate does try to declare victory falsely or pre-emptively, Facebook says it’s going to intervene.

Facebook has announced yet another raft of measures in its mission to prevent a repeat of its catastrophic 2016 election cycle. The new rules, first reported by The New York Times, include a vow that it won’t let President Donald Trump falsely claim victory on Election Day. There are widespread concerns that Trump will attempt to claim victory if he holds the lead on the night after polling places close, and will then demand that authorities stop counting or disqualify mail-in ballots that he has spent months falsely trying to taint as being more susceptible to fraud. According to the Times, if a candidate does try to declare victory falsely or preemptively, Facebook will intervene by adding a label to those posts directing users to the official results. The new measures also include a plan to bar any new political ads on Facebook in the week before Election Day, and to bring in stronger rules against posts that try to discourage people from voting.