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.
Countering Disinformation
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

Shaye Moss receives the JFK Library Foundation’s Profile in Courage Award Shaye Moss

Defamation and Democracy: The Democracy Case for Preserving the “Actual Malice” Standard
The “actual malice” standard is a core protection for a robust exchange of ideas, including a free and independent press.
September 30, 2022

PEN America v. Escambia County School District
Protect Democracy represents PEN America in litigation challenging the constitutionality of book bans in Escambia County.
May 17, 2023

How the Fox Settlement Keeps a Deep-Rooted American Tradition Safe
Dominion v. Fox News could be the rare case where bad facts will help us keep good law.
April 21, 2023

The “Actual Malice” Standard, Explained
What exactly is the “actual malice” standard? Our new paper, explores the history, role, and purpose of the standard, and how it fits into our democracy.
March 30, 2023

Defamation and Democracy: The Democracy Case for Preserving the “Actual Malice” Standard
The “actual malice” standard is a core protection for a robust exchange of ideas, including a free and independent press.
March 30, 2023

19 Employers File Brief Against Florida’s Stop WOKE Act, Asserting the Law is Unconstitutional and an Impediment to Business Success
19 employers in a range of industries filed an amicus brief in support of our lawsuit against Florida's Stop WOKE Act.
January 19, 2023

Three Huge Wins for Democracy in 2022
An extensive recounting of how we achieved three of our top priorities for 2022: reforming the Electoral Count Act, ensuring accountability for January 6th, and combatting disinformation in court.
December 28, 2022

Mark Andrews v. Dinesh D’Souza et al.
Protect Democracy and its partners filed suit against the makers and promoters of the election lie-hyping film 2000 Mules.
November 3, 2022

Fighting Disinformation in Court
Law for Truth, a project of Protect Democracy, works to stop those who intentionally or recklessly spread false information that undermines our democracy.
October 31, 2022

Protect Democracy sues makers of 2020 election conspiracy film over false statements, voter intimidation
Protect Democracy and its partners filed suit against the makers and promoters of the election lie-hyping film 2000 Mules.
October 26, 2022

Ruby Freeman & Wandrea Moss v. Gateway Pundit et al.
Protect Democracy represents Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, who served as election workers in Fulton County, Georgia during the 2020 election.
August 25, 2022