Facebook grants researchers access to study US 2020 election

A group of 17 university researchers will look at how Facebook and Instagram influence issues such as political polarisation, and whether people vote, said Stroud. — Dreamstime/TNS

Facebook Inc is working with a group of third-party researchers to study how content and user behaviour on the social network’s apps affect the US 2020 election.

A group of 17 university researchers will look at how Facebook and Instagram influence issues such as political polarisation, and whether people vote, said Talia Stroud, a communications professor at the University of Texas who is co-charing the research group. Users must consent to participate, and will be paid, says Chaya Nayak, who leads Facebook’s open research and transparency team.