Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, a prominent Democrat, is pressuring the Biden administration to expand its collaboration with Big Tech and local governments in an effort to curb what he calls “election disinformation” ahead of the 2024 elections.
In a letter obtained by Reclaim The Net, Warner urges Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to work closely with social media companies, researchers, and local officials to tackle online content that could influence voters.
Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, claims that election officials are under severe pressure to handle an “unprecedented rise in targeted election disinformation campaigns.” He has urged CISA to use all available tools to support election administrators in building resilience against these so-called “information manipulation campaigns.”
This kind of government-driven pressure to control speech, however, treads a fine line given Americans’ constitutional right to free speech and has previously resulted in controversial outcomes, such as the censorship of legitimate news stories.
The debate over government intervention in online content is particularly charged given the 2020 experience when the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story—a story that was later verified as true—was justified as a necessary measure to combat “disinformation.” The collusion between social media companies and the government to prevent the story from spreading before the 2020 election has become a prominent example of how efforts to counteract “disinformation” can lead to the suppression of accurate information.
In his letter, Warner also referenced repeated warnings from US intelligence about foreign interference, pointing to ongoing operations by Russia, China, and Iran. He asserts that these actors aim to influence US elections, and urges CISA to offer more support to state and local officials facing such challenges. However, Warner’s call for heightened censorship raises questions about how far the government can go without violating constitutional rights, particularly given the vague definition of “disinformation” that often encompasses political viewpoints and dissent.
Warner cited incidents like the 2020 Florida election, where voters received emails threatening them to change their party affiliation and vote for a particular candidate.
He acknowledged CISA’s work in providing educational resources to election offices but insists that additional measures are needed to prevent disinformation campaigns, particularly those employing advanced AI.
However, critics warn that framing these efforts as “protective” overlooks their chilling effect on legitimate political speech.
Despite Warner’s push for more aggressive action, the involvement of government entities in policing online content ultimately brings up critical issues regarding free speech.
