Rumors and misinformation about the Hurricane Helene damage response started circulating on social media sites just days after the storm, and now lawmakers want official investigations into the spread of false information that was sometimes amplified by public figures.
North Carolina Representative Deborah Ross and other members of Congress from Georgia and Florida sent a letter to Congress, urging the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Energy & Commerce Committees to investigate and hold hearings on the social media platforms’ role in the dissemination of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and scams in the wake of natural disasters.
While social media companies are private entities, the lawmakers say Congress does have a voice in ensuring the online safety of Americans.
Ross and the other members want the committees to investigate the failure of social media companies to adequately address misinformation, the role of algorithms in amplifying misinformation and scams, the impact of misinformation on public trust and disaster recovery and failures to protect against scams and fraud.
