How Facebook is gearing up to protect the U.S. Census from misinformation

The presidential election won't be the only big test of Facebook's efforts to fight misinformation in 2020: It's also a census year, and the social network is ramping up its defenses against hoaxes that could turn people off from participating.

Facebook convened officials from the U.S. Census Bureau, other tech companies and several civil society groups for a summit in its Washington office as part of the company's "ongoing coordination and discussions about protecting next year's census from interference," Facebook spokesman Kevin McAlister said.

Social media has exploded dramatically since the last head count a decade ago. Disinformation experts are concerned that it could now be a prime tool for foreign adversaries or domestic political groups seeking to undermine census participation, especially from groups typically wary of the government-led population count.

There could be "an explosion of potential [misinformation] and disinformation once public awareness of census grows in the first quarter," Cameron Hickey, a disinformation researcher who attended Facebook's summit, said in an interview.

The stakes are high: The census is the primary tool to determine how many House seats and therefore electoral college votes a state receives. And it's a significant factor in the redrawing of congressional districts. It's even the underpinning for a wide range of federal data that informs decisions about everything from health care to the economy.

And the clock is ticking for Facebook's leaders: Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg have promised the company will treat the census like a high-priority election. The company has also said it will roll out a comprehensive policy specifically outlining how it will respond to those seeking to interfere with the census.

They're particularly on the lookout for falsehoods on the platform that could discourage groups such as minorities, immigrants and people who don't speak English from turning out. Census officials will be working with the company to try to dispel common hoaxes, such as anything that alludes to the Census Bureau sharing information it collects with law enforcement. (The Census Bureau is prohibited from doing this under U.S. law.)

Fears of foreign attempts to interfere with the census have been on the rise since Russia exploited social networks in an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. The census could be a prime target for adversaries seeking to undermine U.S. political institutions.

But experts say domestic disinformation efforts could be just as formidable as people try to influence turnout for political gain. "If your goal is to undermine trust in government, the census is a perfect lever for that," said Alex Howard, an open government advocate who attended Monday's summit.

There have been rumors, lies and misconceptions surrounding the census since it began, experts say, but with the rise of tech giants, they can be shared much more quickly and at a greater scale than ever. And today's polarized political environment is primed for the spread of falsehoods. Already, Hickey says he spotted of misinformation earlier this year surrounding the Trump administration's failed push to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

Other tech companies haven't announced plans for a policy on the census specifically, but they do say they're also committed to protecting it. Twitter is hosting a training today with Census representatives to address best practices, Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough said. The company's policies prohibit sharing false information about how to participate in a civic event such as the census.

Two Google employees participated in the summit at Facebook. Google spokesman Nu Wexler said the search giant and its subsidiary YouTube are "committed to combating disinformation and fraudulent activities to help protect the integrity of the 2020 Census."

Census officials say they're working with the tech companies to debunk falsehoods related to the count. They've set up partnerships with Facebook's fact-checking partners so they can share information with them directly. They also have a direct line with Twitter's team looking at misinformation, as well as with Google's team dedicated to census work.

"Different tech companies have different levels of staffing and some are bigger than others, but everyone understands the importance of the census and what it means, not just for political representation but also empowering neighborhoods," said Stephen Buckner, assistant associate director for communications at the Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau is also taking steps to set the record straight on common myths related to the count through a recently launched website. It also launched the rumors@census.gov email address, where people can report false information.

Advocates praised the work The Census Bureau is doing to engage the public, but they called for greater involvement from the White House.

"This should be a whole of government effort led by the top," Howard said.