Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are urging Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to invite the leaders of tech companies to testify on their efforts to combat foreign interference in the midterm elections and protect users’ data.
Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., told Grassley the need for a hearing with tech CEOs is made more urgent by the revelation that Cambridge Analytica, the data firm used by the Trump campaign in 2016, improperly harvested private data from more than 50 million Facebook users.
According to a report from the New York Times and The Observer of London, Facebook became aware of the problem more than two years ago but did not act or acknowledge it. Facebook said Friday it suspended Cambridge Analytica from the platform.
“Major social media platforms store an enormous amount of data and have a user base larger than all of the major broadcasting companies combined,” Kennedy and Klobuchar wrote in a letter to Grassley. “The remarkable innovation that these companies have championed has changed how we share and collect information.
“In the process, Facebook, Google and Twitter have amassed unprecedented amounts of personal data and use this data when selling advertising, including political advertisements. The lack of oversight on how data is stored and how political advertisements are sold raises concerns about the integrity of American elections as well as privacy rights.”
Congress began scrutinizing Facebook, Twitter and Google last year after it was revealed Russia used the platforms as part of its efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.
The three companies acknowledged Russia had used their social media networks to spread false news reports in an attempt to influence voters ahead of the election, and pledged to implement policies to combat foreign interference in future elections.
Representatives from Twitter, Facebook and Google have appeared before lawmakers before the discuss these measures, as well as the full scope of Russia’s efforts.
But Kennedy and Klobuchar believe the leaders of the tech companies should testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the safeguarding of user information and provide an update on their efforts to protect from foreign meddling.
“While Facebook has pledged to enforce its policies to protect people’s information, questions remain as to whether those policies are sufficient and whether Congress should take action to protect people’s private information,” they wrote.
With the 2018 midterm elections approaching, the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter and Google are facing increased calls to testify before Congress.
