Democratic lawmakers want Elon Musk to explain China's role in 'platform manipulation' during protests
Three Democratic lawmakers in the House are demanding answers from Elon Musk about a recent "campaign of platform manipulation" linked to recent protests in China. In a letter to Twitter's CEO, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Adam Schiff, and Jackie Speier write that they are "deeply concerned" about the recent spam campaign that drowned out tweets about the protests.
Lawmakers want Musk to answer questions about whether Twitter has evidence the spam campaign was a state-sponsored effort in the People's Republic of China (PRC). “To ensure that the United States is prepared to counter, thwart and deter foreign influence threats online, it is critical that we understand the extent of the PRC's potential manipulation of Twitter and identify how recent changes on Twitter affect the threat of foreign CCP. influence social media operations,” they write.
Lawmakers also address recent changes to Twitter under Musk's leadership, with questions about what Twitter's "emphasis on free speech" means for access to information on the platform ; as well as whether the company has the "capacity" to identify platform manipulation campaigns.
Since Musk took over Twitter, questions have swirled about how he will handle the platform's dealings with Chinese officials, such as requests to remove "state-affiliated" labels from their accounts. Tesla, the other company run by Musk, relies heavily on China for manufacturing.
So far, Musk has not publicly acknowledged the letter, which provides a response deadline of December 31. Twitter no longer has a communications team. However, Musk showed little respect for other letters from lawmakers. He recently addressed a letter from Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey regarding Twitter's failure to stop impersonation attempts with a dismissive tweet.
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Three Democratic lawmakers in the House are demanding answers from Elon Musk about a recent "campaign of platform manipulation" linked to recent protests in China. In a letter to Twitter's CEO, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Adam Schiff, and Jackie Speier write that they are "deeply concerned" about the recent spam campaign that drowned out tweets about the protests.
Lawmakers want Musk to answer questions about whether Twitter has evidence the spam campaign was a state-sponsored effort in the People's Republic of China (PRC). “To ensure that the United States is prepared to counter, thwart and deter foreign influence threats online, it is critical that we understand the extent of the PRC's potential manipulation of Twitter and identify how recent changes on Twitter affect the threat of foreign CCP. influence social media operations,” they write.
Lawmakers also address recent changes to Twitter under Musk's leadership, with questions about what Twitter's "emphasis on free speech" means for access to information on the platform ; as well as whether the company has the "capacity" to identify platform manipulation campaigns.
Since Musk took over Twitter, questions have swirled about how he will handle the platform's dealings with Chinese officials, such as requests to remove "state-affiliated" labels from their accounts. Tesla, the other company run by Musk, relies heavily on China for manufacturing.
So far, Musk has not publicly acknowledged the letter, which provides a response deadline of December 31. Twitter no longer has a communications team. However, Musk showed little respect for other letters from lawmakers. He recently addressed a letter from Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey regarding Twitter's failure to stop impersonation attempts with a dismissive tweet.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices correct at time of publication.
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