During a recent lawyers' conference, the Deputy Attorney General emphasized the Justice Department's dedication to collaborating with social media platforms to combat foreign interference in the upcoming elections. The department will provide actionable intelligence to these companies, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding potential abuse on their platforms by foreign adversaries.
Highlighting Russia as the primary foreign threat to elections, the Deputy Attorney General warned about Moscow's tactics of targeting specific voter demographics and utilizing encrypted messaging apps to reach Americans. Additionally, she expressed concerns about the escalating violence directed towards public officials, including election workers.
Over the past two years, the Justice Department has prosecuted nearly 700 threat cases, with a significant portion involving public officials. Monaco stressed that threats of violence against individuals simply doing their jobs are unacceptable and must be addressed to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking at the ABA's Democracy Summit, Monaco underscored the importance of upholding the rule of law and fostering trust in election integrity. She emphasized the need for free and fair elections that are devoid of foreign interference and violence.
Following a recent Supreme Court ruling allowing federal government engagement with social media companies, the Justice Department unveiled procedures outlining when the FBI will share threat information with these platforms. The FBI will reach out to companies if it identifies activities linked to foreign governments supporting influence operations or if credible evidence points to foreign government involvement.
It is crucial to note that the FBI's communication with social media companies does not mandate any specific actions on the companies' part, and they are under no obligation to act upon the information provided.
