Thompson Requests Facebook Election Security Briefing

(WASHINGTON) – Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Election Security, sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg to request a briefing on how Facebook is addressing known efforts to undermine or manipulate our elections.

I am concerned that Facebook has not only failed to anticipate the various ways its platform and the data it collects might be misused, but also that it is not taking seriously the potential consequences. 

…[E]ven good technology can be exploited by bad actors, and I am concerned that Facebook continues to learn this lesson the hard way. From fake Russian accounts spreading fake news to firms harvesting and using users’ data without their knowledge or permission, Facebook has appeared caught off guard when it has learned its platform was used for nefarious purposes.  The consequences of failing to anticipate and aggressively address misuse of the Facebook platform are serious, and they should be taken seriously.

Link to Letter

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Media contact: Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978

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