Yvette D. Clarke
09/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/30/2024 14:27
CLARKE LEADS LETTER URGING TOP SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVES TO STOP THE SPREAD OF DISINFORMATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 30, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
c: 202.913.0126
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) led several of her colleagues in a letter to top executives from Meta, X, Microsoft, Reddit, Google, and TikTok regarding the spread of disinformation targeting minority voters across social media platforms ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
"We write today regarding the urgent need for social media platforms to recognize the devastating impact that the spread of disinformation will have on our upcoming elections. Platforms must increase their user protections as election disinformation becomes more sophisticated through the adoption of deepfakes and A.I. We are particularly concerned with how (1) sophisticated disinformation has become, (2) how minority communities are targeted to suppress voter turnout, and (3) the harmful impacts of disinformation on migrant communities."
"Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris was a target of disinformation, by foreign actors releasing a fake video of a woman claiming the presidential candidate was involved in a hit-and-run incident. The Harris-Walz campaign continues to be the target of disinformation - leading up to November's presidential election. Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, used AI to clone and mimic the voice of VP Harris, saying things she did not say. This is alarming and misleading with only thirty-five days to Election Day."
"Even more alarming, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), Former President Trump, and vice-presidential candidate, Senator J.D. Vance, have spread dehumanizing lies about legal Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, OH. These rumors have spread like wildfire over social media platforms - endangering innocent lives and leading to the evacuation of several schools nationwide."
"The executive's inaction and inability to prevent the spread of disinformation across their platforms threatens the integrity of our elections and the lives of individuals within migrant communities. We urge them to critically evaluate their role in combating the spread of dangerous mis/disinformation and explain their current policies."
Read the full letter here.
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