| Hey everyone, it's Sarah Frier. National intelligence officials warned Wednesday that Iran and Russia are attempting to spread misinformation ahead of the election, and urged Americans not to "allow these efforts to have their intended effect." The place they're likely to encounter it? Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Since the 2016 presidential vote, we've written near-constantly about election manipulation through misinformation and disinformation. The public wondered what responsibility, if any, the largest social media companies planned to take for their role in its spread. Now, after dozens of regulatory hearings, hundreds of company announcements on policy changes and thousands of follow-up questions, I still can't tell you for sure whether social media companies are prepared for Election Day. That's mostly because their policies keep changing, and none of us can know exactly what threats they'll face. But I don't believe that U.S. democracy is entirely at the mercy of these companies deciding what to do with their content. They may recommend bad information to us, or make it easier for us to amplify it, but any consequence is the result of thousands of our individual decisions. We, as users, have the power to not be part of the problem. With that in mind, here are some tips for the next 12 days: Fight in private. Most people don't actually want to share disinformation with their friends and family. But when they accidentally do, it's best to try warning them privately first, to see if there's a chance they will correct their mistake. If you comment on their post publicly, Facebook and Twitter will likely take the engagement as a signal that the update is noteworthy, and show it to more people. Bookmark a news website. Social media sites are designed for our entertainment. It's easier for us to ingest and spread bad information if we're not actually on a search for the right stuff. If you're scrolling through and reading headlines alongside baby photos and wedding announcements, you may not be in a mental space to think critically about the news. Even on Twitter, the mix of stories that break through tend to reflect a more distorted picture of the world than regular news outlets. Try getting your election information directly from reputable sources, rather than relying on what's getting shared. Consider your reaction. Have you read political news that's shocking? Scandalous? Terrifying? Wonderful and heartwarming? Content designed to go viral on social media is formulated to trigger an emotional response. Before you comment or click to share, consider the source. This year there's been a deluge of pseudo news sites and posts masquerading as official sources of information, as well as posts that look like news pieces but are actually coming from people with political affiliations. It's also prudent to be cautious of personal stories or warnings from people you don't know, especially if those people are talking about something that happened to their relative or acquaintance. Anecdotes aren't facts, but go more viral because they're emotional. In general, avoid sharing anything that says "please share," or clicking on stories that promise information "the media doesn't want you to know." Remember the warnings. Intelligence officials and tech companies alike have told us they expect bad actors to try to stoke violence via social media, to discourage people from voting, to leak hacked information, and to use false identities. If you see anything that looks off to you, report it to the companies so they are prompted to take action, and/or send it along to your favorite journalists. When in doubt, take a break from the internet. It's going to be a long week and a half. —Sarah Frier | 
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