Facebook may appear at Senate hearing on election meddling – CNET


Politics

Facebook may appear at Senate hearing on election meddling

Hearing will examine the role played by social media in a possible sway of last year’s US election.

facebook-f8-2017-0154.jpg

Will Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg be going to Washington?

James Martin/CNET

Facebook representatives are expected to be called to testify at a Senate hearing examining Russia’s use of social media to influence last year’s US election.

It wasn’t immediately clear who would be invited to testify or what issues will be discussed, Richard Burr, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday. Twitter and other social media companies may also be invited, Burr said according to Bloomberg.

“We’re in agreement on a Facebook public hearing,” the North Carolina Republican said. “It’s just a question of when and potentially the scope.”

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who at first downplayed the impact his company’s social network may have had on the spread of false news, has now embraced those concerns and is working to address them. Those efforts include working with news organizations to identify false news, and shutting down advertising access to accounts that repeatedly spread it.

Facebook has also reportedly sent special counsel Robert Mueller records about Russian-linked ads placed on its service during the 2016 election campaign. Mueller and a team of investigators are conducting the high-profile Russia investigation, which has raised issues concerning President Donald Trump’s election last year, the involvement of his children and the actions of his staff.

Less than a week ago, Facebook revealed it had sold $100,000 worth of ads to inauthentic accounts likely linked to Russia during the US presidential election. Russian operatives also reportedly used Facebook Events to remotely organize political protests in the US, including a 2016 anti-immigration rally in Idaho.

Facebook didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s Complicated: This is dating in the age of apps. Having fun yet? These stories get to the heart of the matter.

Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about “women in tech.”

About CNET Privacy Policy Ad Choice Terms of Use Mobile User Agreement Help Center

Top Brands:



Source link

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *