![]() Thank you for your attention to this important matter. The bill would also require "advertising purchased on social media be made by accounts verified to be controlled by an actual person." As members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, we must address this problem as the national threat it is. In California, legislation has been introduced to require automated accounts to come with disclaimers. States have recognized the seriousness of this matter and have begun to act. It is vital that we understand how companies like Devumi operate in order to prevent these bot accounts from destabilizing the public's trust in our nation's elections and undermining our national security. Bot accounts can spread false information at staggering rates, altering public opinion that could even sway our elections. While companies profit handsomely off of these fake accounts, there are very real consequences. Recent estimates by the University of Southern California (USC) and Indiana University indicate that as high as 15 percent of users on Twitter may be bots. These influencers often pay thousands of dollars to amass hundreds of thousands of "followers," the majority of which are now known to be bots. We request that you hold a hearing to investigate the possible influence of these "bots" on the 2016 Presidential election, and invite representatives of companies who sell these accounts to testify before the committee.Īccording to reports, wholesale companies like Devumi make millions of dollars selling fake accounts to "social media influencers" looking to spread their reach. Often these accounts are spoofed off of real users, without their knowledge. House Committee on Oversight and Government ReformĪccording to recent reports in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, corporations have been selling "followers" to consumers made up largely of fake social media accounts. This letter echoes a request sent earlier this month by DeSaulnier to Chairman Gowdy demanding a hearing on this issue. "As members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, we must address this problem as the national threat it is," the letter concluded. Bot accounts can spread false information at staggering rates, altering public opinion that could even sway our elections," continued the Members. "Recent estimates by the University of Southern California and Indiana University indicate that as high as 15 percent of users on Twitter may be bots. "Wholesale companies like Devumi make millions of dollars selling fake accounts, to ‘social media influencers' looking to spread their reach," wrote the Representatives. Congressman DeSaulnier was joined in calling for a hearing by Representatives Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Peter Welch (VT-AL), and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34). Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and a group of Democratic Members on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee urged Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) to hold a hearing investigating the possible influence fake social media accounts, known as "bots," had on the 2016 Presidential election.
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