Trump Account Suspension Leads to 73% Drop in US Election Misinformation... SNS Influence Expected to Grow

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is attending and speaking at a rally opposing the certification of the 2020 presidential election results held in Washington, D.C. on the 6th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] An analysis has emerged showing that false information about the presidential election sharply declined online after former U.S. President Donald Trump's Twitter account was permanently suspended.

On the 16th (local time), The Washington Post reported that according to data from social media analytics firm Zignal Labs, false information on social media claiming "election fraud" decreased by 73% within a week from the day after Trump's account was suspended on the 9th through the 15th.

Zignal Labs also revealed that the use of the hashtag "#FightforTrump," linked to the January 6th U.S. Capitol riot, dropped by 95% following the suspension of Trump's social media account. The hashtags "#HoldTheLine" and "#MarchForTrump" also saw reductions of over 95%.

The Washington Post analyzed, "A powerful misinformation ecosystem composed of prominent influencers, Trump supporters, and President Trump himself was at the center of pressuring Americans to reject the election results," adding, "(The analysis) suggests that this ecosystem struggles to survive without President Trump's account."

Meanwhile, the topic of "election fraud" was actively spread by President Trump and his supporters following the U.S. presidential election held on November 3rd last year.

However, the controversy did not subside easily and eventually led to supporters storming the U.S. Capitol on the 6th, prompting Twitter to suspend Trump's account on the 8th. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitch followed suit.

Twitter has also suspended about 70,000 accounts associated with the far-right conspiracy group "QAnon."