8 House Dems Demand to Know How Social Platforms Are Preparing to Combat ‘Misinformation’ and ‘Disinformation’
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and seven other members of the House have issued a letter to major social media executives, demanding they reveal how they will combat “misinformation” and “disinformation” in the 2024 election. The letter, addressed to executives at Meta, X, TikTok, Google, Instagram, Snap, YouTube, and Microsoft, accuses these platforms of failing to properly prepare for malicious information hazards in November.
“We write to your platforms as concerned Members of Congress, seeking further information about your preparation for and response to the spread of misinformation and disinformation, or the potential incitement of violence on your platforms leading up to the 2024 elections,” the letter begins. “We have already seen how posts with disinformation have spread on the major social media platforms both in the United States and across the globe during election cycles.”
The signers of the letter, including Reps. Julia Brownley, André Carson, Dan Goldman, Robert Garcia, Raúl M. Grijalva, Hank Johnson, and Doris Matsui, expressed concern over the platforms’ ability to react efficiently and effectively to misinformation and disinformation. They also noted that many major platforms have rolled back their election policies, even in the face of blatant attacks on democracy.
The letter includes a series of specific questions, such as:
– “Will your company be changing your election integrity policies between now and the 2024 U.S. general election?”
– “How will your company be more transparent in enforcement of its community guidelines regarding election integrity and transparent with the public about actions it has taken?”
– “Will your company commit to sharing data and metrics on the effectiveness of your enforcement systems in relation to U.S. elections and political speech?”
– “How will your company address mis- and disinformation made by political actors or verified accounts, and how will they be treated differently, if at all, compared to ordinary users?”
