“We knew the 2020 US election would be unlike any other” AN ARGUMENTATION ANALYSIS OF FACEBOOK’S ROLE IN THE 2020 US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis is to understand Facebook’s perception of its role in the spread of misinformation leading up to the 2020 US presidential election. Adopting the conceptual lenses of democracy and CSR, I use argumentation analysis to identify and interpret Facebook’s overall rationale in taking measures to mitigate the spread of misinformation. The empirical material comprising the analysis consists of the company’s Terms of Service and an election press release from September 2020. The findings show that Facebook was more than aware of its political and democratic role leading up to the election. The company relied on several strategies to restrain misinformation and strengthen the integrity of the election. However, this thesis reveals that multiple measures are deemed contradictory to the purpose and values of the company, which illustrates the overarching democratic dilemma of restricting free speech to protect electoral integrity. In addition, this thesis shows that Facebook fails to publicly acknowledge the full extent of its political and democratic impact, indicating that the company could take a more proactive role in this regard.