TikTok seeks to appease US lawmakers by increasing transparency: As the Chinese-owned application TikTok negotiates with US regulators to continue operating in the United States, the platform shared its plans to increase oversight of its video-recommendation algorithms by enlisting third-party monitors to identify and flag signs of manipulation or irregularities in the code. Senior Fellow for Emerging Technologies Lindsay Gorman said, “While TikTok is certainly making every effort to retain its US business in the face of increasing scrutiny, the reality is that these monitoring efforts are infeasible. When an entity that is ultimately reportable and responsible to the Chinese Communist Party—due to its country of origin—has access and control over source code fundamental to our information ecosystem, the ability for misuse and manipulation to fly under the radar is just far, far greater than any ability we’d have to detect it. This is the Huawei-UK oversight conversation all over again.”
Jan 6 committee omitted social media memo in final report: The final report by the House special committee on January 6 did not include findings from a 122-page memo that detailed how social media platforms, especially Twitter, ignored internal warnings about violent rhetoric and bent their policies ahead of the attack on the Capitol. The committee reportedly omitted those findings to avoid a public fight with technology companies. Senior Fellow Bret Schafer told the Dispatch, “Whatever the January 6 committee’s rationale was for not including the section on social media in the final report, it seems like a critical omission, given the widespread use of tech platforms by the organizers and participants of the January 6 attack. Although the report’s findings were largely axiomatic to anyone paying attention to this issue, the one thing that stood out—again, unsurprisingly—is how much fear of political reprisal factored into the decision-making processes at social media companies. That could have huge implications as we head towards the 2024 election cycle.”
Failed candidate for NM legislature violently targeted political rivals: Solomon Peña, a Republican candidate who lost his bid for a New Mexico state house seat in November, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating a series of shootings at the homes of four elected Democratic officials in Albuquerque; Solomon claimed the election was stolen from him. Elections Integrity Fellow David Levine said, “Solomon Peña’s arrest is the latest example of how election denialism can fuel political violence. While the 2022 midterms had a number of encouraging signs for those who correctly believe America’s elections are free and fair, Pena’s arrest is a violent reminder that some individuals who believe false claims about stolen elections may feel increasingly inclined to try and take matters into their own hands rather than working through democratic processes and institutions. Such efforts are destabilizing and must be dealt with forcefully.”
