A dozen tech companies, including Google, Facebook, and Snapchat, are reportedly meeting at Twitter headquarters today to discuss strategies and challenges ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, according to a new report.
An email from Facebook cybersecurity policy chief Nathaniel Gleicher inviting the companies to the secret meeting obtained by Buzzfeed News asked each company to present the work they’ve been doing to counter information operations, according to the report.
“As I’ve mentioned to several of you over the last few weeks, we have been looking to schedule a follow-on discussion to our industry conversation about information operations, election protection, and the work we are all doing to tackle these challenges,” Gleicher reportedly wrote.
The meeting comes the same week Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Microsoft announced actions to combat phishing and misinformation. Facebook and Twitter suspended hundreds of users and accounts engaging in coordinated manipulation, many linked to Iran and Russia.
Concerns over foreign influence campaigns ahead of the 2018 elections are mounting. Former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos warned Wednesday it is too late to protect the midterm elections.
“America’s adversaries believe that it is still both safe and effective to attack U.S. democracy using American technologies and the freedoms we cherish,” he wrote.
The Buzzfeed News report noted a similar May meeting at Facebook attended by nine companies was also attended by Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary Chris Krebs and Mike Burham from the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force.
Facebook, Twitter, and Google are set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee to discuss social media manipulation on Sept. 5.
