Background Īs the campaign began, analysts assumed that, because of the increased reach and capacity of social media sites of all kinds since the last election cycle, social media would be used in potentially powerful new ways. This in turn prompted a global debate over dissemination of fake news over the Internet, with many social media sites adopting new policies regarding the issue for the 2020 election. A separate investigation into the Russian interference in the election was also conducted, and concluded with the observation that Russian intelligence agencies created fake social media accounts and bought ads on multiple social media sites in order to influence the election in favor of the eventual winner Donald Trump. įollowing the election, Facebook and Cambridge Analytica initiated an investigation into the harvesting and use of personal data on social media for political advertising, which ultimately resulted in the liquidation of Cambridge Analytica and the testification of Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg in front of Congress.

By doing so, candidates and users both would influence or change people's views on a specific issue. In turn, users could share, like, or comment on these actions, furthering the candidates' outreach. Depending on the digital architecture of each platform, candidates would use a variety of techniques to discredit their opponent, and gain support. Most candidates made use of multiple social media accounts on various platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. The accessibility of information online enabled more voters to educate themselves on candidates' positions on issues, which in turn enabled them to form unique opinions on candidates and vote on those opinions, ultimately impacting the election's outcome. It also allowed people to formulate their own opinions on public forums and sites and allowed for greater interaction among voters. Unlike traditional news platforms, such as newspapers, radio, and magazines, social media gave people the ability to comment below a candidate's advertisement, news surrounding the candidates, or articles regarding the policy of the candidates. It enabled people to have a greater interaction with the political climate, controversies, and news surrounding the candidates. Social media played an important role in shaping the course of events leading up to, during, and after the 2016 United States presidential election. Russia investigation origins counter-narrative.Overview of social media usage in the 2016 U.S.

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