Senators warn of foreign social media meddling in US elections

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators urged President Donald Trump on Tuesday to warn public about efforts by foreign governments to interfere in U.S. elections, a subject he has largely avoided, and take steps to thwart attempts by hostile nations to use social media to meddle in 2020 presidential contest.

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Senators: Social media meddling

recommendations came in an 85-p report issued by Senate Intelligence Committee, which has been investigating Russia’s large-scale effort to interfere in 2016 presidential election. senators described social media activities of Kremlin-backed Internet Research ncy in 2016 as part of a “broer, sophisticated, and ongoing information warfare campaign designed to sow discord in American politics and society.” senators ted Russians’ social media effort was a “vastly more complex and strategic assault on United States than was initially understood,” with planning underway in 2014 when two Internet Research ncy operatives were sent to U.S. to gar intelligence.

While a previous assessment indicated Russian activities aspired to help n-candidate Trump when possible, Senate report went furr and said Russians’ social media campaign was “overtly and almost invariably supportive” of Trump and designed to harm Democrat Hillary Clinton. Also targeted by Russian social media efforts were Trump’s Republican opponents — Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Trump has been largely dismissive of Russian activities in 2016 and w faces an impeachment inquiry into wher he inappropriately solicited foreign election help from Ukraine ahe of 2020 vote.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump ministration has me election security a priority. “ Federal government has invested in essential programs and is proactively partnering with states to improve protection of election infrastructure and to elevate threat awareness through improved information sharing and exercises,” Deere said.

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Details of report

Tuesday’s report concluded Russian activities were focused largely on socially divisive issues, such as race, immigration and guns, in “an attempt to pit Americans against one ar and against ir government.” It found Russian efforts targeted black Americans more than any or group and overall activity increased rar than decreased after Election Day in 2016.

“Russia is waging an information warfare campaign against U.S. that didn’t start and didn’t end with 2016 election,” said rth Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, Republican chairman of panel. “By flooding social media with false reports, conspiracy ories and trolls, and by exploiting existing divisions, Russia is trying to breed distrust of our democratic institutions and our fellow Americans.”

senators warned that Russia is t only one posing a threat to U.S. elections, pointing to China, rth Korea and Iran. nation’s intelligence chiefs have warned about threat of foreign interference in upcoming 2020 election. “ Russian playbook is out in open for or foreign and domestic versaries to expand upon - and ir techniques will only get more sophisticated,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, panel’s top Democrat. report detailed efforts by Russians to exploit tensions in American society, particularly along racial lines. For instance, over 66 per cent of Internet Research ncy’s Facebook s contained a term related to race and its Facebook ps were targeted to black Americans in key metropolitan areas.

California Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat running for president, highlighted parts of report on Twitter and urged lawmakers to take action to prevent future interference. “I think of America as a family— and like any family, we have issues. We have a history of slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation that we need to confront,” Harris wrote on Twitter. “But someone came into our house and inflamed se tensions to turn us against each or. We can’t let that happen again.”

In report, Senate Intelligence Committee recommends that Trump ministration “publicly reinforce” danger of attempts by hostile nations to interfere in 2020 election. It also calls for ministration to develop a framework for deterring future attacks and to create an interncy task force to monitor use of social media by foreign governments for interference. Senators also recommended social media companies improve coordination and cooperation with relevant government ncies. In dition, y said, Congress should consider legislation to ensure public kws source behind online political s.

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Election Security Bill

On Tuesday, House Democrats unveiled an election security bill that would require more transparency in online political s along with tightening laws around exchange of campaign information between candidates and foreign governments and requiring that campaigns report illicit offers of foreign help to FBI. House bill would require TV stations, cable and satellite providers and social media companies such as Facebook to make “reasonable efforts” to ensure political vertising is t purchased by people outside of U.S., eir directly or indirectly, in part by requiring that customer provide a valid U.S. dress.

This summer, Facebook anunced it would be tightening its rules around political s and requiring those who want to run s pertaining to elections, politics or major social issues to confirm ir identity and prove y are in U.S. with a tax identification number or or government ID. A separate House election security measure passed House at beginning of year, but Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell has declined to take it up. McConnell, however, has supported an effort to send $250 million in ditional election security funds to states to shore up ir systems ahe of 2020.

“Today’s bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report makes it crystal clear to everyone that Vlimir Putin exploited social media to spre false information in 2016 elections and that Senate must take action to ensure Americans kw who is behind online political s to help prevent it from happening again,” said Senate Democratic leer Chuck Schumer of New York. An earlier report by committee focused on efforts by Russians to target state and local election systems.

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