If results of the presidential election are delayed, false claims and other misinformation could thrive online, which is forcing Facebook and Twitter to prepare for worst-case scenarios.

National security officials say Russia is again trying to disrupt the election. But this time, it doesn't have to work so hard because Americans are spreading mistruths and doubts about the election.

Facebook critics are banding together to monitor misinformation, hate speech and voter suppression on the social network because, they argue, it has fallen short.

The social media companies said the accounts and pages were linked to Russian actors that had launched "hack-and-leak" operations to hurt Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

The Justice Department's proposal would hold Facebook and Twitter more accountable for users' posts. One critic says the Trump administration is "trying to work the refs ahead of the election."

False claims that blame left-wing activists for wildfires in Oregon have spread on social media. To stop the rumors, some experts say platforms should take inspiration from the stock market.

Most of the operation's activity focused on Chinese interests in the South China Sea but also included some content about U.S. politics.

Some of the most prominent users of the social media platforms called for a boycott to protest Facebook's failure to control disinformation and hate speech as part of the campaign #StopHateForProfit.

The company said its new policy would eliminate search predictions that could be seen as favoring a political candidate or as making claims about "the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes."

Twitter will label or remove posts that spread misinformation. Social media companies are under pressure to curb the spread of false claims and prevent interference from foreign and domestic actors.

"We're increasingly seeing attempts to undermine the legitimacy of our elections from within our own borders," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says.

Facebook's head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said that the company is working harder than ever to counteract efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

The social network's new Reels feature on Instagram is launching as TikTok faces scrutiny in Washington over its Chinese ownership.

Both social networks said the president's false claims that children are "almost immune" from COVID-19 violated its policy on coronavirus misinformation.

Viral conspiracy theories are dangerous, and maybe profitable.