Resumption of U.S. Government Coordination with Social Media to Combat Disinformation Ahead of Elections

Resumption of Coordination Between U.S. Government and Social Media Platforms

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) and other federal agencies have discreetly resumed their collaborative efforts with major social media companies earlier this year. This renewed partnership aims to combat the anticipated surge of foreign disinformation and influence operations, particularly as the presidential election approaches in November. According to both the Biden administration and company representatives, there have been at least two notable instances in recent weeks where these platforms have acted to remove harmful content.

After a period of stagnation, the interactions between F.B.I. investigators and social media companies—such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube—dropped off last year. This was largely due to a legal challenge that accused the Biden administration of engaging in censorship, which made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In June, the court ultimately dismissed this challenge, marking a significant moment in the ongoing debate over the extent of government intervention in online misinformation. However, the court left many questions unanswered, particularly regarding what constraints, if any, the First Amendment might place on the government’s ability to communicate with these technology firms.

As the threat of interference from foreign nations, specifically Russia and Iran, has intensified in relation to the U.S. presidential election, the communication between government agencies and social media platforms has resumed. Intelligence shared by the government has historically been instrumental in identifying covert influence campaigns before they could gain traction on social media.

According to officials and a report released by the Department of Justice in July, the F.B.I.’s engagement with social media platforms reignited behind the scenes in February. This renewed collaboration has already proven effective, successfully thwarting two campaigns linked to Russia’s disinformation efforts. Notably, last month, X took proactive measures to deactivate 968 accounts associated with Russia’s Federal Security Service and RT, a state-run television network.

Additionally, on Thursday, Meta announced that a tip-off from the F.B.I. led to the identification and removal of a substantial network of inauthentic pages and accounts on Facebook and Instagram. These accounts were found to be spreading negative narratives about Ukraine, Poland, and the European Union.