Election interference has become a major issue in elections around the world. Since the 2016 US presidential campaign, concerns have centered on foreign interference via vote tampering or other means to influence candidates and voters. This is a legitimate concern; our elections must be based on truth and trust. Amid the heated rhetoric about possible foreign interference, however, many of the details are missing.
One key factor is that the majority of interference in digital environments occurs in the form of informational measures, where online discussions are surreptitiously manipulated in favor of government or particular parties. These types of threats are far harder to control and easier for disruptive actors to hide than technical or legal efforts.
In fact, even though Russia supposedly caused a flood of false content during the 2016 election, it only affected perhaps a fraction of Facebookâs news feed and had relatively small effects on voter decisions. Furthermore, if a foreign actor did attempt to influence election results, they would be likely to face serious consequences in the court of law, including fines or jail time.
This reality should help tamp down the heat in the debate over what can and cannot be done to counter interference. Instead, political leaders and activists need to push for action that addresses the real sources of election interference, such as ensuring that voting methods produce verifiable paper records that can be checked quickly and effectively after every ballot.