Platforms struggle with misinformation and exploitation amid Trump assassination attempt

The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump starkly highlights the razor-thin line between profit and ethics that platforms are precariously tightrope-walking as the presidential race heats up.

In the chaotic aftermath of the incident at Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13, a chorus of opportunists rushed to cash in on the swirling hysteria, speculation, and conspiracy theories.

Political advertisers on Meta platforms have already begun using the shooting to sell assassination-related merchandise ranging from T-shirts and shot glasses to trading cards. Coffee mugs and tumblers show members of the Secret Service pulling the former president off stage along with the text “Legends Never Die.” T-shirts with the same image feature text like “Fight For America,” “Not Today,” and “I get shot and I get up again!”

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.