08.31.18

Klobuchar, Sullivan Push Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation to Prevent Election Interference on Online Platforms

Senators: The threats we face require open lines of communication between digital platforms and federal agencies in order to combat attacks against our political system

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today pushed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to work with social media and online platforms to identify and prevent election interference. More than 3,000 Russian-linked ads from Facebook were disclosed after the 2016 election that targeted American voters with false information.

“The ongoing nature of the threat we face requires consistent information sharing that should be established through a framework that helps to strengthen election cybersecurity by improving coordination across all levels of government and the private sector,” the senators wrote.

“Intelligence officials have made it clear that social media platforms will continue to be targets used to spread misinformation and sow discord. Accordingly, we believe these threats require DHS and the FBI to work to ensure that there are open lines of communication between digital platforms and federal agencies in order to combat attacks against our political system. Given the widespread use of social media among American voters, providing these companies with relevant information will assist in preventing the spread of disinformation.

“In the 21st century, our adversaries will continue to use cyberwarfare against both private and public networks and we need to be prepared to defend against this growing threat to our democracy. Establishing a framework for information sharing between digital platforms and the government that protects Americans’ privacy and helps us to identify threats will help to protect the free flow of information and civil discourse that make our country exceptional.”

Full text of the letter found below (and attached).

Dear Secretary Nielsen and Director Wray: 

We write requesting more information on efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to work with social media and online platforms to identify and prevent election interference.

The joint briefing you held last week with Facebook, Microsoft, and election officials is a positive step. However, the ongoing nature of the threat we face requires consistent information sharing that should be established through a framework that helps to strengthen election cybersecurity by improving coordination across all levels of government and the private sector.  

More than 3,000 Russian-linked ads from Facebook were disclosed after the 2016 election that targeted American voters with false information. As we approach the 2018 election, intelligence officials warn that Russia, Iran, and other foreign actors are currently working to disrupt our midterm elections.

Recently, Facebook announced that it identified and removed 652 pages involved in a coordinated disinformation campaign similar to activity we saw in the 2016 election. Now, copycat actors like Iran are following Russia’s playbook to spread misinformation and discord.[1] Last week, Facebook announced that they took down fake accounts spreading disinformation that were linked to Iran and had amassed more than 1 million followers.[2] These accounts expressed anti-Israeli themes, engaged in cyber hacking, and spent thousands of dollars on paid advertising. Twitter also recently removed 284 accounts, many of which were linked to Iran as a part of a campaign to engage in “coordinated manipulation.”[3]

 Intelligence officials have made it clear that social media platforms will continue to be targets used to spread misinformation and sow discord. Accordingly, we believe these threats require DHS and the FBI to work to ensure that there are open lines of communication between digital platforms and federal agencies in order to combat attacks against our political system. Given the widespread use of social media among American voters, providing these companies with relevant information will assist in preventing the spread of disinformation. Likewise, receiving information from the platforms regarding suspicious activity will allow law enforcement officials to better identity and address threats. It is imperative that this information sharing protect the privacy of Americans.

We strongly urge you to implement some of the same emergency preparedness and response strategies that are already in use for other private industries. For example, the process established by the Office of Private Sector (OPS) and the FBI represents an effective model for information sharing between the private industry and the federal government.

In the 21^st century, our adversaries will continue to use cyberwarfare against both private and public networks and we need to be prepared to defend against this growing threat to our democracy. Establishing a framework for information sharing between digital platforms and the government that protects Americans’ privacy and helps us to identify threats will help to protect the free flow of information and civil discourse that make our country exceptional. 

Sincerely, 

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