Twelve Democratic senators have written to Mark Zuckerberg expressing concerns over "Meta’s role in responding to the rise of online election-related misinformation and disinformation in the United States and the accompanying rise in divisive, hateful, and violent online activity", after hearing evidence from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.
They said: "The false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen fuelled a violent and deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6th. The misinformation and disinformation that led to insurrection as well as planning for the insurrection took place largely on online platforms, including Facebook."
The senators are questioning Zuckerberg over claims that Facebook cut back on efforts to stop the spread of election-related misinformation between Election Day and the riot at the Capitol on January 6 instigated by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
“Recent reports…indicate that the company prematurely terminated misinformation and disinformation safeguards that were put in place in advance of the 2020 election,” they write, referring to information provided by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.
The return to original settings “allowed misinformation, disinformation, and violent rhetoric to return to the platform immediately following Election Day and in the lead-up to the January 6th insurrection,” the senators write.
The senators acknowledge that whilst Facebook banned the group “Stop the Steal” (one of the better known groups spreading the idea that the election was stolen from Trump) from using their platform, other groups were able to bypass Facebook’s controls to spread the same claim.
The senators are asking Zuckerberg what steps the company is taking to curb the spread of election-related disinformation and claims which “undermine election integrity and serve to intimidate voters and election workers.”
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