The FBI issued a statement on Saturday debunking two videos that have been circulating on social media, both of which contain false information. One video falsely claims that the agency had apprehended three groups involved in ballot fraud, while the other video is related to second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
In their statement, the FBI clarified that these videos are not authentic and are not from the FBI. The content depicted in the videos is entirely false. Despite having limited circulation and few views, the FBI felt it necessary to alert the public about the misinformation being spread.
According to two US officials, the origin of the videos has not yet been determined by the FBI. It is worth noting that the FBI did not attribute the videos to foreign malign influence, a term typically used to describe influence operations by foreign governments. The bureau rarely calls out domestic-sourced disinformation publicly, partly due to concerns regarding First Amendment rights and civil liberties.
Some Republicans have accused the FBI and other government agencies of engaging in censorship. However, the FBI's primary concern in this instance is to ensure that the public is aware of the false nature of these videos and to prevent the spread of misinformation.
