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

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."

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