In the wake of the assault on the Capitol, we must ask why we allow profit-driven companies to set the rules of democratic engagement online.

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Dear Friend,

On the eve of a new President and administration, we must address the crisis of disinformation that fueled the attack on the Capitol Building to ensure both the short and long-term health of our democracy. And that’s why we've been working to shine a light on the role of social media in the attack and outline what Congress and the Biden administration can do next.

In a new op-ed on CNN.com ([link removed]) , MapLight's Ann Ravel shares lessons from the Capitol attack and next steps for the Biden-Harris administration. As Ann explains, the attack on the Capitol Building is a jarring reminder of the power of a few Silicon Valley CEOs over our democracy:

“With so much damage already done and just a handful of days left in the Trump presidency, social media and technology companies finally banned Trump and the apps some white supremacist followers used to incite violence. But these decisions were made too late and now risk emboldening conspiracy theorists who still believe the election was stolen. They also raise legitimate questions as to why we let profit-driven companies set the rules of democratic engagement online in the first place.”

It is troublesome that we've turned over the rules of online deception, harassment and incitement to violence to powerful tech companies who are not accountable to the public. Our democratic institutions must take back control and introduce regulations that address incendiary online propaganda.

Click here to read the full piece on CNN.com. ([link removed])

Can you take a moment to share Ann’s op-ed with your networks and help us spread awareness of the dangers of disinformation and what can be done to stop it?
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Thanks so much,

Dan

Daniel G. Newman
Maplight President and Co-Founder

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