What Online Platforms Can and Must Do to Help Mitigate Escalating Political Violence

By Yaël Eisenstat

June 23, 2026

What role do online platforms play in potentially fueling political violence, and what could and should they do to mitigate these escalating threats, particularly as the US heads into the 2026 midterm election? We gathered a group of experts–including former tech company employees, policymakers, researchers and academics–to consider these questions and recommend a set of potential interventions, policies, and design changes that the companies could employ to help turn down the temperature and protect those most at risk of political violence. 

Today, Tech Policy Press CEO Justin Hendrix and I launched a report, titled “Political Violence in the Digital Age: What Online Platforms Can Do to Mitigate Escalating Threats” that captures the discussion and includes the recommendations where we found consensus from the working group.

We are entering the midterm election cycle with more serious threats to the online systems underpinning democracy than ever before, with fewer protections than we’ve had in a decade.   With less than five months remaining before November’s elections, technology platforms have a crucial role to play, and they must be prepared in the event that political violence occurs. The recommendations we provide in the report should represent the floor, not the ceiling: minimum steps platforms can take in a broader commitment to an information environment that nurtures democracy rather than division and violence. 

Read the full report, Yaël's op-ed in Just Security, and her op-ed in Tech Policy Press for more.