The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is holding a hearing to investigate Russia's possible use of social media to influence the 2016 U.S. election. Endgaget reported that after it was recently announced that Russian agents bought out Facebook ads that promoted divisive messages on the site, Twitter Inc Representatives met with the congressional committee to confirm its cooperation with the investigation.
The giants of Silicon Valley are now facing mounting pressure when it comes to social media advertising tactics, with Democrats asking the Federal Election Commission for more transparency.
Facebook to Reveal Russia-Linked Ads to Congress.
Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg announced that he would be cooperative in a Facebook Live video, stating, "I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity." He made it clear that he didn't want his website to help undermine the U.S. democracy. CBS News quoted him as saying, "That's not what we stand for."
Zuckerberg will turn over 3,000 ads linked to the Kremlin. He also promised to be more vigilant by creating stronger security teams, working with election commissions and working with other tech companies to prevent this from happening again.
"We're in a new world," said Zuckerberg. "It is a new challenge for internet communities to deal with nation-states attempting to subvert elections.
But if that's what we must do, we are committed to rising to the occasion."
Twitter's response to the Russian operation.
The social media website, Twitter, isn't just dealing with Russia-linked advertisements. During the 2016 election, the site was invaded with bots, or fake Twitter accounts, to spread messages that allegedly tipped the U.S.
election.
Hundreds of fake accounts were identified, all of which shared fake news stories that promoted statements that smeared Hillary Clinton or praised Donald Trump. Many of the bots passed as real people, adopting avatars and writing messages similar to actual Americans. The bots were created to add further fuel to the fire, emboldening the voices who supported Trump or disapproved of Clinton.
However, not all of the bots were able to successfully pass as authentically American. Agencies were able to easily identify the bots.
Now, Twitter representatives are being tight-lipped about the site's use for Russian meddling. As both social media websites agree to meet with the Congressional committee, Russia continues to deny any interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
