Twitter Broadening Crackdown On Mail-In Ballot Misinformation, Move Likely To Anger Trump: Politico

Twitter Inc TWTR plans to widen the scope of its rules regarding mail-in ballots and early voting, which could impact social media outreach of President Donald Trump, reported Politico Wednesday.

What Happened

The Jack Dorsey-led platform is considering steps it can take to combat misinformation about mail-in voting and the broader mischaracterization of the ballot process in tweets, according to Politico.

The company is also reportedly gearing up to encourage the participation of its users in the electoral process.

“Ahead of the 2020 U.S. Election, we're focused on empowering every eligible person to register and vote through partnerships, tools and new policies that emphasize accurate information about all available options to vote, including by mail and early voting,” Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Twitter’s vice president of public policy for the Americas, told Politico.

Why It Matters

Trump accused Twitter of electoral interference in May, after the platform labeled his tweets related to mail-in ballots and voter fraud in California with fact-check warnings.

The same month, after a public spat with the platform on the labeling of his tweets, the president signed an executive order that aimed to limit social media platforms' immunity from legal action arising out of third-party content.

The presidential general election is due in November and while the microblogging platform has won praise from Democrats for its handling of Trump’s tweets on mail-in ballots, it has earned the ire of Republicans, Politico noted. 

Price Action 

Twitter shares closed nearly 0.4% higher at $37.44 on Wednesday and fell almost 0.1% in the after-hours session.