House Democrats in areas hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton are calling on tech companies to combat "disinformation, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and scams" related to the storms and recovery efforts.
North Carolina Reps. Deborah Ross, Kathy Castor, Wiley Nickel, along with Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams, sent a letter to the CEOs of seven social media companies Friday, pressing them to "combat these dangerous trends, which have exacerbated the challenges facing communities during this critical period of storm recovery and preparation," the severity of which, the letter says, "is difficult to overstate."
The letter adds, "The lies, scams, and conspiracies widely circulating on your platforms compromise their ability to work effectively and place the lives and safety of Americans at risk. Moreover, this distracts from the real challenges we face and sows division in our communities when they are already in crisis.
"Misinformation not only delays the recovery process but also erodes public trust in institutions that are essential to helping our states to rebuild."
The lawmakers are asking the platforms to:
- Increase the monitoring and rapid removal of misinformation and disinformation related to disaster recovery efforts.
- Enhance fact-checking partnerships with local agencies and disaster relief organizations.
- Strengthen algorithms to flag and prevent the spread of harmful conspiracy theories that target disaster victims.
- Implement stronger safeguards against scams that prey on vulnerable individuals during disaster recovery.
The letter concluded, "Again, we strongly encourage you to act quickly and decisively to address the clear dangers posed by the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and scams in the wake of these storms. Lives, livelihoods, and the integrity of our recovery efforts depend on it."
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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