Lawmakers Press Facebook For More Information On Communication With The FBI

In a controversial interview last week, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the FBI approached the company in the runup to the 2020 election and told it to be on the lookout for Russian propaganda. In response, Facebook took down stories about the contents of a stolen laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, the now-president’s son — a decision Zuckerberg revealed that he regretted. And with good reason — because now, several lawmakers are pushing to investigate the company’s decision.

In the interview with popular podcast host Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg said that his company tamped down on the story by limiting its reach to users. That statement, along with Facebook’s close relationship with law enforcement, appears to be what spurred several prominent lawmakers to pursue action.

“The American people deserve to know whether the FBI used Facebook as part of their alleged plan to discredit information about Hunter Biden,” they wrote in a letter to the Facebook leader. “Although you noted that users could still share the articles, you clarified that the number of users who could see it decreased by a ‘meaningful’ amount.”

Both sides of the political spectrum believe Facebook is biased against them, so it’s not surprising that these conservative lawmakers are eager to grill the company. However, there are very real concerns with many privacy experts about Facebook’s relationship with law enforcement, so this investigation, politically motivated thought it may be, could unearth some useful info.




Recommended Resources

bitdefender Choose what the experts use: award-winning cybersecurity you can trust and rely on.

PIA Surf the web truly incognito. Try Bitdefender Premium VPN, the ultra-fast VPN that keeps your online identity and activities safe from hackers, ISPs and snoops.

System Mechanic 14 – Make your computer run like new. Winner of 200+ Editor’s Choice awards!

Facebook Agrees To Settle Cambridge Analytica Data Privacy Lawsuit At The Last Minute Previous post Facebook Agrees To Settle Cambridge Analytica Data Privacy Lawsuit At The Last Minute Judge Rules That It’s OK For FBI To Grab User Data From Facebook Next post Judge Rules That It’s OK For FBI To Grab User Data From Facebook