Share this @internewscast.com

The FBI has resumed some of its efforts to share information with some American tech companies about foreign propagandists using their platforms after it ceased contact for more than half a year, multiple people familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The program, established during the Trump administration, briefed tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Meta when the U.S. intelligence community found evidence of covert influence operations using their products to mislead Americans. It was put on hold this summer in the wake of a lawsuit that accused the U.S. government of improperly pressuring tech companies about how to moderate their sites and an aggressive inquisition from the House Judiciary Committee and its chair, Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

The lawsuit, filed by the Republican attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, awaits a ruling from the Supreme Court. A majority of justices appeared skeptical of the suit when they heard its claims, and the court is scheduled to rule on the suit at the end of June.

The FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, responsible for conducting the briefings, resumed outreach a little more than two weeks ago.

“In coordination with the Department of Justice, the FBI recently implemented procedures to facilitate sharing information about foreign malign influence with social media companies in a way that reinforces that private companies are free to decide on their own whether and how to take action on that information,” an FBI spokesperson said Wednesday.

The FBI’s previous outreach to the tech companies similarly did not include any requirement that they act on the information, said people at three of the tech companies that previously received them.

It was not clear how fully the FBI had resumed the program. Employees at two companies that had previously received the briefings said the agency had resumed limited outreach but that it had not resumed the substantial briefings.

The briefings became a fixation for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee and Jordan, its chair, who proposed without proof that the briefings were part of an FBI conspiracy to help President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign by hiding emails from Biden’s son Hunter. Tech companies disputed that characterization.

The briefings generally involved FBI representatives’ giving the companies information that the U.S. intelligence community had gathered about alleged dedicated foreign propagandists. While companies that received the briefings have rarely shared details about them, Meta has occasionally mentioned in quarterly reports that it has banned campaigns of alleged “coordinated inauthentic behavior” from both Iran and people formerly associated with the Russian Internet Research Agency after having learned about them through the FBI.

At a hearing last week, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., alluded to the dates the FBI paused and resumed the program.

“All throughout the Trump administration, and in this case the Trump administration did right, there was voluntary sharing that went back and forth on a regular basis. So if NSA or CISA found evidence of foreign malign influence, that could be shared in a voluntary basis with the companies, and vice versa,” Warner said, referring to the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

“As of last July and literally until about two weeks ago, there’d been no communication between those social media platforms, where a lot of this foreign misinformation/disinformation takes place, and the government,” Warner said.

Two people who work at different major U.S. tech companies that previously received the briefings, who requested they not be named over fears of harassment, said their companies had still been sharing information about propaganda campaigns with each other despite the lack of information from the U.S. government.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Free pet food distribution for SNAP recipients hosted by Chicago Animal Care and Control in Pilsen

Chicago Animal Care and Control Offers Free Pet Food to SNAP Recipients in Pilsen

In response to the recent suspension of SNAP benefits due to the…
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream voluntarily recalls some Häagen-Dazs mini bars for undeclared wheat, company says

Alert: Häagen-Dazs Mini Bars Recalled Due to Unlisted Wheat Ingredient

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc. has initiated a…
Sydney Sweeney breaks silence on backlash to American Eagle ad

Sydney Sweeney Addresses Controversy Surrounding American Eagle Advertisement

Despite the unexpected backlash, the “Euphoria” actress remains firm in her support…
Former ‘Idol’ contestant Randy Madden arrested for alleged sex with minor

Ex-‘American Idol’ Contestant Randy Madden Arrested Over Alleged Involvement with Minor

Randy Madden, a former contestant on “American Idol,” has been arrested under…
How to spot November's supermoon, the closest of the year

Guide to Observing November’s Supermoon: The Year’s Closest Celestial Event

NEW YORK — Prepare to gaze skyward on Wednesday night as the…
12 Israeli-Linked Cell Phones at UVU day of Kirk’s Assassination

Twelve Cell Phones with Israeli Connections Detected at UVU on Day of Kirk’s Assassination

Candace Owens revealed explosive new details about the assassination of conservative figure…
Louisville UPS plane crash caught on CCTV footage

CCTV Footage Captures Moment of UPS Plane Crash in Louisville

New perspectives are emerging regarding the UPS wide-body cargo plane crash that…
Coach Antoan Richardson leaves Mets for Braves in disagreement about ‘value’

Coach Antoan Richardson Departs Mets for Braves Amid ‘Value’ Dispute

In a move that reshapes the coaching landscape within the NL East,…
US military kills 2 suspected narco-terrorists in 16th Eastern Pacific strike, Hegseth says

US Military Executes 16th Eastern Pacific Strike, Eliminates Two Suspected Narco-Terrorists: Hegseth Reports

The U.S. military executed a drone strike resulting in the deaths of…
Zohran Mamdani wins the NYC mayor's race, ABC News projects

Zohran Mamdani Projected as Winner in NYC Mayoral Election, According to ABC News

NEW YORK — In a groundbreaking election, Zohran Mamdani has secured the…
Suspects in foiled Halloween terror plot pictured practicing at Michigan gun range: FBI

FBI Arrests Two More Suspects in Foiled ISIS-Inspired Halloween Attack Plot

Federal authorities have apprehended two additional suspects linked to a disrupted Halloween…
UPS plane crash and explosion leaves 9 dead and others missing in Kentucky

Tragic UPS Plane Crash in Kentucky Claims 9 Lives, Several Missing

Authorities are on a relentless search for more victims following a devastating…