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| Twitter's response to Brexit interference inquiry inadequate, MP says | Twitter's response to Brexit interference inquiry inadequate, MP says |
| (5 days later) | |
| Social media platform listed just six tweets to UK parliamentary committee looking into claims that Russia meddled in referendum campaign | Social media platform listed just six tweets to UK parliamentary committee looking into claims that Russia meddled in referendum campaign |
| Alex Hern | Alex Hern |
| Thu 14 Dec 2017 14.32 GMT | Thu 14 Dec 2017 14.32 GMT |
| Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 15.29 GMT | |
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| Twitter has been attacked for its “completely inadequate” response to a parliamentary committee seeking answers about Russian misinformation operations during the EU referendum. | Twitter has been attacked for its “completely inadequate” response to a parliamentary committee seeking answers about Russian misinformation operations during the EU referendum. |
| In its submission, sent on Wednesday, the company listed just six Russian tweets that were promoted as paid advertisements on its platform during the referendum period. | In its submission, sent on Wednesday, the company listed just six Russian tweets that were promoted as paid advertisements on its platform during the referendum period. |
| All six tweets were sent by the English-language broadcaster Russia Today, which spent just over $1,000 (£750) promoting them to British users to spread awareness of its news coverage. | All six tweets were sent by the English-language broadcaster Russia Today, which spent just over $1,000 (£750) promoting them to British users to spread awareness of its news coverage. |
| But Damian Collins MP, chair of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport committee, said Twitter’s response failed to address any of the substantive issues raised. Instead, the company has simply replied to a far narrower request from the Electoral Commission, which was exclusively concerned with spending. | But Damian Collins MP, chair of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport committee, said Twitter’s response failed to address any of the substantive issues raised. Instead, the company has simply replied to a far narrower request from the Electoral Commission, which was exclusively concerned with spending. |
| “The information you have now shared with us is completely inadequate,” Collins said. “In the letter I sent to you on 3 November I requested ‘that Twitter provides to the committee a list of accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and any other Russian linked accounts that it has removed and examples of any posts from these accounts that are linked to the United Kingdom.’ | “The information you have now shared with us is completely inadequate,” Collins said. “In the letter I sent to you on 3 November I requested ‘that Twitter provides to the committee a list of accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and any other Russian linked accounts that it has removed and examples of any posts from these accounts that are linked to the United Kingdom.’ |
| “Whilst the inquiry currently being conducted by the Electoral Commission is extremely important, it is completely separate and different in nature to the inquiry that my committee is undertaking,” Collins added. | “Whilst the inquiry currently being conducted by the Electoral Commission is extremely important, it is completely separate and different in nature to the inquiry that my committee is undertaking,” Collins added. |
| “It seems odd that so far we have received more information about activities that have taken place on your platform from journalists and academics than from you,” the letter concluded. “If Twitter is serious about cooperating with the work of this committee and tackling the spread of disinformation then you should provide me with a full response to the clear questions that I set out … no later than Monday 15 January.” | “It seems odd that so far we have received more information about activities that have taken place on your platform from journalists and academics than from you,” the letter concluded. “If Twitter is serious about cooperating with the work of this committee and tackling the spread of disinformation then you should provide me with a full response to the clear questions that I set out … no later than Monday 15 January.” |
| Collins’ condemnation of Twitter’s response comes a day after Facebook faced a similar dressing-down. It too had submitted to the committee a copy of its response to the Electoral Commission, focusing exclusively on paid advertising on its platform, of which it found just $0.97 (£0.72) worth aimed at British users. | Collins’ condemnation of Twitter’s response comes a day after Facebook faced a similar dressing-down. It too had submitted to the committee a copy of its response to the Electoral Commission, focusing exclusively on paid advertising on its platform, of which it found just $0.97 (£0.72) worth aimed at British users. |
| “Facebook conducted its own research to identify tens of thousands of fake pages and accounts that were active during the French presidential election,” Collins said on Wednesday. “They should do the same looking back at the EU referendum and not just rely on external sources referring evidence of suspicious activity back to them.” | “Facebook conducted its own research to identify tens of thousands of fake pages and accounts that were active during the French presidential election,” Collins said on Wednesday. “They should do the same looking back at the EU referendum and not just rely on external sources referring evidence of suspicious activity back to them.” |
| The two social networks’ response to the UK parliament stands in stark contrast to the wealth of information they provided to the US Congress. Following a congressional hearing into Russian operations targeting the 2016 presidential election, Twitter provided Congress with a list of 2,752 accounts that it believed were run from the IRA, a St Petersburg-based “troll army”. | The two social networks’ response to the UK parliament stands in stark contrast to the wealth of information they provided to the US Congress. Following a congressional hearing into Russian operations targeting the 2016 presidential election, Twitter provided Congress with a list of 2,752 accounts that it believed were run from the IRA, a St Petersburg-based “troll army”. |
| Facebook identified 470 accounts and pages run by the group, which had between them spent more than $100,000 on adverts, and provided examples of many of the adverts to Congress, as well as the metadata detailing how much they cost and how many views each received. In total, more than 126 million Americans were reached. | Facebook identified 470 accounts and pages run by the group, which had between them spent more than $100,000 on adverts, and provided examples of many of the adverts to Congress, as well as the metadata detailing how much they cost and how many views each received. In total, more than 126 million Americans were reached. |
| The Twitter-based disinformation campaign bore fruit for the IRA. Tweets sent by its employees were quoted more than 80 times across the British media, a Guardian investigation revealed, in several cases directly altering the tone and content of subsequent coverage of major news events, such as the Westminster terror attack of March 2016. | The Twitter-based disinformation campaign bore fruit for the IRA. Tweets sent by its employees were quoted more than 80 times across the British media, a Guardian investigation revealed, in several cases directly altering the tone and content of subsequent coverage of major news events, such as the Westminster terror attack of March 2016. |
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