Social media giants 'aware' of consequences of failure to stop election disinformation

The Electoral Commission, which has primary responsibility for combating disinformation affecting the electoral system, is gearing up preparations for the local and European Parliament elections on 7 June.

Garda Security & Intelligence and broadcasting regulator Coimisiún na Meán, which is charged with dealing with disinformation and online harm more generally, are increasing their level of cooperation to investigate disinformation from the far-right, which is expected to ramp up in the next few weeks.

The developments come as various far-right groups and individuals, including candidates in the elections, plan a large protest today in Dublin city centre.

A counter-protest by United Against Racism is also expected.

A major policing plan has been put in place to deal with various contingencies, including different levels of potential violence or clashes. In a lengthy interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr O’ Leary said:

• Changing the current moratorium on press and broadcasting media on election coverage “might be worthy of consideration” as it does not include online media;
• The rise of fake online videos and imagery, particularly with advances in artificial intelligence (AI), is a concern for the coming elections;
• There is “no real evidence” of malign foreign interference to date, but the global environment has “moved on considerably” since the last elections four years ago.

Mr O'Leary accepted that the Electoral Commission still does not have legal powers to direct social media companies to take down online material that could damage the electoral process or to properly label political advertising.

However, he said the commission had built up “positive” relations with the firms, including mechanisms to ensure disinformation is taken down quickly.

The interview forms part of a two-day Irish Examiner special report on Election Security — with Day One focusing on online security, disinformation and cyber threats, and Day Two focusing on the physical threat to politicians and the electoral system.

Mr O’Leary said: “They [social media companies] are very conscious that their platforms are a place where quite serious damage can be done to democracy.” He said he knows politicians are very sceptical that social media companies would cut down on the very thing — online disinformation and division — that makes them money.

“I am not naïve,” he said. 

"The proof will be in the pudding. The implications for social media companies [if they fail to act on disinformation] aren’t good. To be accused after the event of having impacted on the outcome of an election is huge."

Mr O’Leary noted that the UK Electoral Commission had been compromised by a Chinese-based cyber group and that they had to “guard against the risk that this might happen here”.

He said their website has been regularly tested by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Also speaking to the Irish Examiner, NCSC director Richard Browne said they worked very closely with the Electoral Commission and the country’s 28 returning officers.

He said that while there are “hundreds of cyber incidents of significance every year” in Ireland that there has not been any significant attacks on the electoral system.

But he stressed that a first successful attack would be enough and “could be very bad news” if it did happen.

He said that “probably the most pressing issue” was the security of IT systems of political parties and the security of the various digital devices that politicians and candidates use.

Mr Browne said: “We have issued advice and guidance and done information sessions in the Oireachtas and with politicians on cyber security. This is something we particularly worry about.”