Sen Warren Warren issues new disinformation pledge, promising to hold Facebook, Google and Twitter responsible

Democratic presidential candidate Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) pledged that her campaign would not share falsehoods or promote fraudulent accounts on social media, part of a new plan to battle back disinformation and hold Facebook, Google and Twitter “responsible” for its spread. Four years after Russian agents weaponized those services in a bid to undermine the 2016 election, Sen Warren expressed fresh alarm that Silicon Valley’s efforts only “nibble around the edges,” failing to fully combat online threats that mislead voters or stoke conflict, including among Democrats competing for the White House in 2020. “Anyone who seeks to challenge and defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election must be fully prepared to take on the full array of disinformation that foreign actors and people in and around the Trump campaign will use to divide Democrats, suppress Democratic votes, and erode the standing of the Democratic nominee,” said Sen Warren. “And anyone who seeks to be the Democratic nominee must condemn the use of disinformation and pledge not to knowingly use it to benefit their own candidacy or damage others.”

Along with her personal commitment, Sen Warren said her presidency would push for civil and criminal penalties for those who seek to mislead people online about when, where and how to vote. She also said she would seek sanctions against countries, including Russia, that attempt to undermine US elections with online propaganda.