Elections for many national governments and the European Parliament, seen here in Brussels in 2020, will take place in 2024. Experts warn that these elections are ripe targets for bad actors seeking to disrupt democracy. Thierry Roge/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A supporter of Kuomintang, or KMT, Taiwan's major opposition party, waves Taiwan's national flag on Nov. 24, 2023, in Taipei, Taiwan. Researchers uncovered an influence operation targeting Taiwan's upcoming presidential election on Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Annabelle Chih/Getty Images hide caption
Disinformation researcher Joan Donovan testifying remotely during a U.S. Senate hearing in April 2021. Donovan contends she lost her job at Harvard University due to pressure from the social media company, Meta. Pool/Getty Images hide caption
Meta, the social media company that owns Facebook and Instagram, said Thursday that this year it has taken down five networks of fake accounts originating in China that aimed to influence politics in other countries. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
This picture taken from a position in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing in the the Palestinian territory after an Israeli strike on November 21, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A photo shows the logo signs of Google and YouTube at their stand ahead of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos in 2022. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Voters fill out their ballots at the U.S. Air Force MEPS Liaison building on November 07, 2023 in Jackson, Mississippi. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
A voter fills out a ballot in Jackson, Miss., on Tuesday. Federal and local officials have worked closely with researchers to track rumors and conspiracy theories in recent elections but that cooperation is fading under pressure from conservatives. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
An aerial view of the complex housing the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City after an explosion on the hospital grounds that killed hundreds, according to Palestinian officials. Unraveling the facts behind the explosion has been made difficult because of swarms of social media accounts spreading false information about the explosion. Shadi Al-Tabatibi/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Israeli troop reinforcements take position at the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Monday. Social media and messaging apps have been flooded with false and out of context images since fighting started this weekend. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
An American flag flies on top of the White House, Feb. 12, 2022, in Washington. A federal appeals court Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, significantly whittled down a lower court's order curbing Biden administration communications with social media companies over controversial content about COVID-19 and other issues. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption