With QAnon and conspiracy theories impacting mainstream discourse, tech companies are having to take greater control of what’s published on their platforms. Increasingly active on social media, American Boomers are caught up in the misinformation wars - but what draws them to fake news?

Twitter and Facebook have ramped up efforts to stem misinformation in the lead-up to the US election, adding restrictions to a New York Post story. The move, one of the strongest against a major news publication, treads the fine line between taking responsibility and allowing free speech.

Whether to stay connected, informed, or distracted, social media plays multiple roles in people’s day-to-day lives – and it’s proving especially useful during the COVID-19 crisis. Canvas8 polled 1,000 Americans and spoke to nine people to find out what they want from these platforms and why.

In a move that could come back to bite them, Twitter has tagged two of Donald Trump’s tweets with fact-checking warnings. People have long demanded more action from tech giants to stop the spread of fake news, and this marks a watershed moment in the fight against complacency.