Latest Russian Meddling Evidence Prompts Heinrich To Call For Greater Transparency For Social Media Ads Influencing American Voters

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Following the revelation that Russia purchased Facebook advertisements during the 2016 election, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement:

“Every day it seems like there is a new development about Russia’s efforts to undermine our democracy, but this is a critical juncture that begins to show the public for the first time tactical evidence of how the Kremlin sought to influence our election.

“That is why today I am calling on Congress to start erecting barriers against unfettered Russian influence over American voters online by establishing the same transparency and disclaimers for social media ads that exist in political TV advertisements. A political ad on TV must include a disclaimer so you know who paid for it, but that is not the case for political ads on Facebook or Twitter. That needs to change.

“The American people deserve to know who is paying to influence their decisions, whether it is Russia’s dark money or anyone else’s. Congress must also do all it can to minimize the impact of fake automated social media accounts and to limit Russia’s ability to amplify stories in our media that only serve their interests.”