Schiff, a central figure in the debunked “Russia collusion” scandal that mired the first Trump administration in a multi-year controversy, has sent a letter to major tech companies requesting details on their plans to mitigate these issues ahead of Election Day, which is just 34 days away. The letter was addressed to Meta (formerly Facebook), Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Google/YouTube, Snapchat, and Microsoft. It was co-signed by seven other House members, all Democrats. “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 lawmakers wrote. “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 letter continued. “We continue to be concerned with each of your companies’ ability to react efficiently and effectively to misinformation and disinformation, or to any potential incitement of violence occurring on your platforms.”Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is urging social media companies to strengthen their efforts against the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and the incitement of political violence in the run-up to the 2024 election.
Social media companies have a responsibility to protect our democracy – not enable misinformation and incitement.
With the 2024 election approaching, they must step up and enforce election integrity policies — no more rollbacks.
Our democracy is at stake.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) October 1, 2024
The definition of misinformation and disinformation has been fiercely debated in recent years. Several instances have emerged where information initially classified as false or misleading was later proven accurate.
For example, early claims that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have been man-made or leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, were initially dismissed as misinformation. Social media platforms, including Facebook, censored such content. However, this theory has since gained credibility and is now considered a plausible explanation.
Another instance occurred in October 2020, when the New York Post published a bombshell exposé alleging corruption involving then-candidate Joe Biden and foreign businessmen and oligarchs.
Largely because of a letter from 51 former intelligence officials and a warning from the FBI, the story was falsely labeled Russian disinformation and was censored on social media platforms.
It was later revealed that this censorship, along with other actions during the first two years of the Biden administration, was done at the behest of the federal government, a clear First Amendment violation.
Despite these controversies, Schiff and his fellow lawmakers continue to press social media companies to take proactive steps against what they view as threats to democracy.
“As the technology on social media platforms rapidly expands, companies must redouble their efforts to combat issues that threaten our democracy,” the letter states.
