Skip to content
Project 2025
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories
Some MAGA loyalists have turned on Trump. Why the rest haven’t

Some MAGA loyalists have turned on Trump. Why the rest haven’t

Independents and Republicans May Hold the Power in Los Angeles – If They Actually Vote

Independents and Republicans May Hold the Power in Los Angeles – If They Actually Vote

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stands in front of a group of National Guard troops.

Trump's and Hegseth’s Officer Firings Put Pentagon Stability at Risk

Osha Vaccination

Investigations Committee Releases COVID Vaccine Adverse Effects Report, Research Debated across Party Lines

New online tools ease reporting of election misinformation

person using computer
fizkes/Getty Images
The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumSep 22, 2020
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
See More Writings by author

With just six weeks to go, misinformation continues to pose one of the most significant threats to the integrity of the election. But two online tools introduced Tuesday offer the public ways to get active in combating the spread of false or misleading internet content.

A browser plug-in and a text-to-report service to mitigate the impacts of misinformation are the work of MapLight, a nonpartisan group that's been mainly focused on tracking the influence of money over politics. The tools are aimed mainly at removing problematic content on Facebook, but the texting service can also be used for reporting misinformation elsewhere.

The Election Deception Tracker is available as a free browser extension on Chrome and Firefox. After installation, users can report misinformation on Facebook by right-clicking on the post title and selecting "send to Election Deception Tracker." A prompt will appear in which users can provide more details about the post and select one or more of the following categories: voting, candidates, violent threat/hate speech, election results, and fake or misleading account.

MapLight misinformation toolAnyone can report misinformation with MapLight's new tools. MapLight

For misinformation found on flyers, mailers or elsewhere online, users can text a photo or description. The service will then send automated messages to the user to gather more information about the content in question.

Submitted reports will be sent to MapLight's database where a team of researchers and election protection advocates will analyze the content. If removal is deemed necessary, the organization says it will press that effort with company executives.

And after the election, MapLight says, the misinformation database will be used to buttress lobbying for tougher regulation of social media companies.

"These tools are designed to help anyone concerned about the rampant spread of misinformation to take an active role in protecting our democracy," said MapLight President Daniel G. Newman. "Irresponsible practices from large technology companies like Facebook and a lack of leadership from Congress and the White House have polluted our online environment and jeopardized the integrity of the election."

Misinformation can be hard to identify sometimes, which is why it is so harmful. MapLight encourages the public to report content even if they are unsure of its validity since its team of researchers will be able to verify the information before taking further action.


Latest news

Calling Wealthy Benefactors!
Governance & Legislation

Calling Wealthy Benefactors!

Iran’s Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Believes in Iranian Regime Change — Experts Contradict Him
Governance & Legislation

Iran’s Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Believes in Iranian Regime Change — Experts Contradict Him

Read More

The Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Decision Could Reshape Local Government Across Texas

A landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act could reshape Latino and Black political representation in Texas. Guillermo Ramos and other leaders warn the decision may weaken protections against discriminatory election systems in school boards and city councils.

The Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Decision Could Reshape Local Government Across Texas

Guillermo Ramos remembers seeing few elected leaders who looked like him while he was growing up in the 1980s in Farmers Branch, a fast-growing affluent suburb northwest of Dallas.

Over the years, Latino representation continued to lag, he said. In 2015, after he had become a lawyer, he decided to do something about it.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Paradox of Young Voters: Disillusioned and Divided
person in blue denim jeans and white sneakers standing on gray concrete floor
Photo by Phil Scroggs on Unsplash

The Paradox of Young Voters: Disillusioned and Divided

In 2024, young Americans were expected to be the stabilizing force in U.S. politics. But instead, they emerged as one of its most paradoxical constituencies: increasingly disillusioned, economically anxious, and sharply divided. Millennials and Gen Z are rapidly becoming the demographic center of political power: by 2028, they may account for nearly half of the electorate. Yet, according to the Spring 2025 Harvard Youth Poll conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, only 19% of young Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing most or all of the time. Just 13% believe the country is headed in the right direction. The question arises: will this generation accelerate democratic fragmentation, or help rebuild a more resilient civic culture?

This growing pessimism is not confined to one party. Young Americans rate both major political parties poorly, displaying chronically low approval of national leadership, and increasingly question whether democratic institutions are responsive to their needs. The result is not apathy–it is polarization.

Keep ReadingShow less
stethoscope and us dollar bills on blue-colored background.

As debate over universal health care intensifies in the United States, rising medical costs, insurance complexity, and international comparisons are fueling renewed calls for a transparent, accountable system that guarantees basic care for all Americans.

Getty Images, aaaaimages

The United States May Be the Best Place to Build Universal Health Care

The debate over health insurance in the United States has returned to the forefront as the Affordable Care Act faces political pressure, insurance premiums continue to climb, and physicians experience increasing restrictions from insurance companies. A recent poll shows that roughly 62 to 68 percent of Americans believe the government has a responsibility to ensure health care coverage for all. Yet after more than a century of debate, the federal government has taken only small steps toward universal coverage. Today, the United States spends a relatively high amount per person on health care, but Americans die younger and are less healthy than residents in other high-income countries.

Having experienced different health care systems firsthand, I am deeply aware of how universal health care can impact life. Surprisingly, I have also realized that the United States may actually have one of the systems best suited to making it work.

Keep ReadingShow less
A café owner hangs an “Open” sign on the front door at the start of the business day. Concept of entrepreneurship and readiness.
Getty Images, Willie B. Thomas

Cassidy’s Latest Chance To Boost The Small Businesses He Has Long Championed

When election season rolls around, voters are accustomed to hearing politicians proclaim their support for small businesses–institutions that routinely top Gallup’s list of America’s most trusted by a country mile.

It’s easy to talk the talk during campaign season. It’s much harder to do the work when the cameras are off, and the spotlight fades.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2026