Snapchat Launches Voter Awareness Initiatives for EU Elections

Snapchat has launched several new initiatives to encourage civic participation among E.U. residents ahead of the European General Elections. These include:

• A new AR election Lens: Developed in conjunction with the European Parliament, this Lens encourages people to get out and vote.
• Messages and links: Snapchat will share the Lens with all EU Snapchatters, along with a message reminding them to vote and a link to the Parliament’s election website.
• Partnerships: Snapchat is partnering with the European Parliament and European Commission to promote the ‘Use your vote’ information campaign on elections.
• Monitoring misinformation: Snapchat continues to monitor for misinformation and threats to the democratic process.

Snapchat has a significant track record in influencing voter registration and turnout in the U.S.:

• In 2018, Snapchat helped over 450k U.S. Snapchatters register to vote.
• By 2020, this number increased to 1.2 million.
• Research by Democracy Works found that of the 450,000 U.S. Snapchatters who registered to vote through its TurboVote process in 2018, around 57% went on to vote in the US Midterms, equating to around 260,000 extra votes cast as a direct result of a push via the app.

For the upcoming EU elections, Belgium and Germany are lowering their voting age to 16, joining Austria, Malta, and Greece in expanding a say to younger citizens. Additionally, voting is compulsory in Belgium and Greece, which means that Snapchat could play a key role in reaching these younger, first-time voters.

In preparation for the EU elections, Snapchat has taken several measures to combat misinformation and threats to the democratic process:

• Signed up to the AI Elections Accord: Alongside other technology firms, Snapchat pledged to work collaboratively on tools to detect and limit the spread of AI-generated content aimed at deceiving voters.
• Introduced contextual symbols: These help the community understand when they are interacting with Snap-generated AI content.
• Instructed My AI: Snapchat has further instructed My AI to avoid engaging on political topics.
• Partnered with Logically: A leading fact-checking organization and signatory of the EU Disinformation Code of Practice, to help fact-check political ad statements across the EU.

Snapchat might play a significant role in the upcoming EU elections due to several factors:

• Lowering of voting age: With Belgium and Germany lowering their voting age to 16, Snapchat's reach among younger users could be crucial.
• Compulsory voting: In countries like Belgium and Greece where voting is compulsory, Snapchat's initiatives could significantly influence voter turnout.
• Track record: Snapchat has previously demonstrated its ability to influence voter registration and turnout in the U.S.
• New initiatives: The introduction of new AR election Lenses, partnerships with the European Parliament and European Commission, and efforts to combat misinformation all contribute to its potential impact.

These measures collectively could make Snapchat a significant platform for political operatives aiming to reach younger voters.