How are social media preparing for the election? With many guardrails off

Tech platforms have stepped back from many of the more aggressive measures they took to curb the spread of election rumors and falsehoods four years ago. But some platforms do still have some safeguards in place.

As it did in 2020, Meta has not allowed new political advertisements to be placed the week leading up to the Nov. 5 election, but political ads can still appear on the company’s platforms if purchased before the week of the election.

Meta announced Monday that political ads on Facebook and Instagram will resume “later this week,” after originally planning to end the ban restrictions when polls close. The extension of several days is an attempt to tamp down any falsehoods that may spread in the event votes are still being counted. Google, too, will once again block election ads after Nov. 5

At X, formerly Twitter, owner Elon Musk has reversed previous management’s ban on political advertising and has removed many of the platform’s guardrails. The billionaire has himself amplified false and misleading information about the election. And his pro-Trump super PAC has set up a hub on the X for users to report “potential incidents of voter fraud or irregularities,” which is filled with unverified claims and rumors.