As the 2024 U.S. Presidential election nears, misinformation is a major concern for voters and platforms. This panel will examine how false information spreads through social media and messaging platforms, distorting political discourse. Attendees will explore the challenges of balancing privacy, free speech, transparency, and content moderation. The panel will discuss efforts to combat misinformation, including fact-checking, regulatory frameworks, and media literacy. Participants will gain insights into how misinformation is shaping the political landscape and strategies to mitigate its impact.

The Arizona Policy Lab, housed in the University of Arizona School of Government and Public Policy, will host Courtney Cooper, SGPP instructor and global policy director at WhatsApp, and Sahana Udupa, professor of media anthropology and Berkman Klein fellow at Harvard University, to share their expertise on digital media and misinformation. Yotam Shmargad, associate professor at the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona, will moderate the discussion.