Represented election workers, voters, and a postal inspector who were defamed and terrorized as part of the Big Lie conspiracy theory, and helped them spotlight the human cost of disinformation.
Safeguarding the Public Square
Our Work
Democratic decisionmaking requires a shared reality based on facts.
Without shared facts, citizens in a democracy cannot trust each other or our political leaders, or make informed voting decisions that hold our representatives accountable.
Today in the United States, the unmitigated spread of disinformation — false information deliberately spread by bad-faith actors — threatens to make too many of us apathetic, or even actively hostile, towards democratic institutions and one another.
But we have powerful tools to help stop disinformation and those who intentionally spread it. Together, we can create a healthier political discourse based on shared facts, genuine disagreement, and honest differences of opinion.
- Deter the spread of election-, voting-, and other democracy-related disinformation through litigation and other tools.
- Neutralize the biases in our information ecosystem that allow disinformation to spread more easily than facts.
- Disrupt the feedback loop that pushes elected officials toward enacting disinformation-driven policy.
Produced research to help communities of color cope with the unique disinformation challenges they face, centering their voices, experiences, and expertise across these solutions.
Impact in the News
Read more about our Law for Truth initative Read more about our Law for Truth initative
Jury in Federal Court Awards Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss $148,169,000 in Damages
Rudolph W. Giuliani owed defamed Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye (“Shaye”) Moss damages after deliberately spreading lies in an effort to undermine 2020 election results.
December 15, 2023
The Shortlist: Seven Ways Platforms Can Prepare for the U.S. 2024 Election
Protect Democracy has produced four recommendations to inform preparations to safeguard the information ecosystem surrounding the U.S. general election.
March 12, 2024
The Shortlist: Messaging Platform Recommendations
These four recommendations will ensure messaging platforms are ready for global elections through 2024.
March 11, 2024
The Shortlist: Social Media Platform Recommendations
These four recommendations will ensure social media platforms are ready for global elections through 2024.
March 11, 2024
The Shortlist: Generative AI Platform Recommendations
These four recommendations will ensure generative AI platforms are ready for global elections through 2024.
March 11, 2024
Litigating for truth: The power and limits of defamation law
Defamation litigation is not a complete cure for what’s broken in our media ecosystem, but it can force those who spread lies to internalize some of the costs of the injuries they cause.
February 6, 2024
Stephen Richer’s Lawsuit Against Kari Lake, the Lake for Governor Campaign, and the Lake Fundraising Organization Will Proceed
Stephen Richer, the Maricopa County Recorder, has defeated motions to dismiss his defamation lawsuit against Kari Lake, the Lake for Governor Campaign, and the Lake Fundraising Organization.
December 20, 2023
Jury in Federal Court Awards Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss $148,169,000 in Damages
Rudolph W. Giuliani owed defamed Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye (“Shaye”) Moss damages after deliberately spreading lies in an effort to undermine 2020 election results.
December 15, 2023
Judge Rules Against the Makers of Election-Lie-Hyping Film ‘2,000 Mules’ — Allows Case to Proceed to Discovery
Today, a federal court greenlit a lawsuit against Dinesh D’Souza and others for peddling manufactured lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
October 2, 2023
Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss Win Sweeping Victory, Default Judgment Against Rudy Giuliani
Judge orders a trial on the amount of damages take place some time between November 2023 and February 2024.
August 30, 2023
What is the Big Lie?
The Big Lie is the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and that the Republicans who affirmed Biden’s victory were part of a conspiracy to defeat their own party’s president
August 15, 2023