As platforms loosen their policies, embark on a bromance with US President Donald Trump, create alliances with right-wing parties worldwide to resist regulation, and frame their stance on freedom of expression as a battle against “censorship,” they risk amplifying disinformation campaigns, threatening electoral systems, challenging institutions, and undermining democracy and sovereignty. In 2023, YouTube stopped removing content related to false claims of electoral fraud globally by defending that “controversial or based on disproven assumptions, is core to a functioning democratic society — especially in the midst of election season” (YouTube’s election integrity measures have remained in place since the second round of presidential elections in 2022).