Senators question Facebook over disinformation and hate speech
Senators question CEO Mark Zuckerberg about Facebook’s policies on hate speech and discriminatory targeting.
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This story is part of 2020 elections, CNET’s full coverage of the 2020 elections.
US Senators interviewed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a letter on Wednesday about social network policies related to hate speech and discriminatory targeting and disinformation the coronavirus pandemic and also the 2020 US presidential election.
“With the federal government, states and municipalities Elections scheduled for November 2020, Facebook has a responsibility to ensure that its platforms do not become a hotbed of disinformation, “the Democratic Sens letter said. Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, Kamala Harris from California and Robert Menendez from New Jersey.
When recognizing Facebook’s recent moves to address COVID-19 misinformationThe senators said they were “deeply concerned” about the social media platform, which does not address human and civil rights issues such as hate speech and discriminatory advertising, and the company’s policy to leave the company Show political candidates that contain falsehoods. “These shortcomings pose a real threat to people of color, particularly when it comes to protecting voting rights in the forthcoming 2020 election,” they said.
The letter adds that Facebook has failed to prevent posts about counterfeit medicines and conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blumenthal, Harris and Menendez asked Facebook if they would rethink their fact-checking policy regarding the posts of politicians before the presidential election. whether politically inaccurate contributions by politicians to COVID-19 and the electoral process are permitted; how Facebook addresses hate speech and misinformation about Asian Americans; how it checks content that could lead to voter suppression; and whether it will include a civil and human rights expert on its board.
You can expect responses from Facebook by May 22nd. Facebook said it was planning to respond.
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