Kalshi and Polymarket Ban Affiliates from Spreading Election Misinformation After California Primary
Prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket have updated their policies to prohibit paid creators and affiliates from denying election results or spreading election misinformation. The policy changes follow California's primary election, after which Trump and other Republicans began making unfounded claims of election fraud, with some paid influencers amplifying those claims through sponsored content on the platforms. The moves highlight growing tension between prediction markets' financial incentives, their use of political influencers, and their responsibility to prevent the monetization of misinformation.
Kalshi and Polymarket, two major online prediction market platforms, have each updated their affiliate and creator policies to prohibit paid partners from questioning the integrity of elections or denying election results. The policy changes came after NPR reported that paid influencers for both platforms had posted content spreading misinformation about California's recent primary election. Kalshi asked influencers to remove posts, including one from commentator David Freeman alleging cheating in California elections, while Polymarket asked two creators to remove paid-partnership tags from posts making similar claims. Conservative influencers Benny Johnson and Kangmin Lee were among those whose sponsored posts were flagged. The situation draws additional scrutiny given that Donald Trump Jr. serves as an adviser to both platforms, and that Trump and Republicans have been amplifying unfounded election fraud claims following California's primary. Prediction markets have faced broader regulatory challenges, including criminal charges filed by Arizona's attorney general against Kalshi and a federal investigation into former congressman George Santos over alleged insider trading on the platform.
What's missing
Coverage does not include responses from the named influencers — David Freeman, Benny Johnson, or Kangmin Lee — nor does it clarify whether the platforms proactively identified these violations or acted only after media scrutiny. Additionally, the specific terms of the affiliate agreements and what enforcement mechanisms exist beyond requesting post removals are not detailed.
How coverage differed
The sole source is The Guardian, which has a left-leaning editorial perspective. The framing emphasizes the role of conservative influencers and Republican figures in spreading misinformation, and prominently notes Donald Trump Jr.'s advisory role at both companies, which may reflect editorial choices about which connections to highlight.
What different sources said
- The GuardianLeft
Kalshi and Polymarket prohibit affiliates from spreading election misinformation
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