Three senators began a bipartisan push Thursday to rein in the political ads that appear on social media platforms amid fears about Russian influence on American elections.
Should the bill gain more bipartisan traction, it would mark one of the strongest efforts yet to check companies like Facebook and Google.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Mark Warner, D-Va., crafted the bill, called the “Honest Ads Act.” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., signed on as a cosponsor.
The senators hope the bill will curb the reach of foreign-bought political ads during American elections. The U.S. intelligence community has concluded Russia launched a campaign to influence the 2016 election and will try to do so again during next year’s midterm elections.
It is not clear how many more of the majority Republicans in Congress will get behind the bill. It will need broader GOP support to pass. Klobuchar and Warner expressed optimism that more Republicans would support the plan.
The Russian effort “exposes a national security vulnerability when it comes to online political advertisements,” Klobuchar said. American laws “have failed to keep up” with the technology foreign entities can use, she added.
Tech titans Facebook and Google parent Alphabet have said they found Russia-linked ads on their platforms during the election.
Klobuchar described new regulation as necessary because of both companies’ vast reach in the United States. She noted that Facebook and Google accounted for nearly all digital ad revenue growth last year and now serve as a news source to millions of voters.
It remains to be seen what measures the social media platforms will support. Major technology companies have opposed similar rules in the past.
Warner on Thursday described the measures as “common sense, light touch regulations.”
In a statement Thursday, Facebook said it will work with lawmakers to increase transparency in political ads.
“We have already announced the steps Facebook will take on our own and we look forward to continuing the conversation with lawmakers as we work toward a legislative solution,” the company said.
Google declined to comment to CNBC about the legislation on Wednesday.
Twitter has also found fake accounts and bots linked to Russia. The company has said it is taking steps to stop malicious bots and misinformation on the platform.
In a statement to CNBC on Wednesday, Twitter said it looks forward to “engaging” with Congress and the Federal Election Commission on ad transparency.
Klobuchar serves as the ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, which has a role in elections. Warner is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, one of the congressional panels investigating Russian meddling and possible collusion with the Donald Trump campaign.
Source: Tech CNBC
Senators seek a crackdown on Facebook and Google political ads