Press Release: Women of Color Political Candidates in US Targeted with the Worst Online Abuse

(WASHINGTON)–A new study released today by the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) finds that women of color candidates in U.S. elections encounter mis- and disinformation and the worst kinds of online harassment at higher rates than other candidates. Based on Twitter data from the 2020 Congressional elections, the research finds that women of color candidates were:

1. Twice as likely as other candidates to be targeted with or be the subject of mis- and disinformation;
2. More than four times as likely as white candidates and twice as likely as men of color candidates to be targeted with violent abuse;
3. More likely to be targeted with or be the subject of posts that combined mis- and disinformation and abuse than any other group of candidates;

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