Last week, I sent a letter to Twitter CEO Elon Musk requesting information about the possibility of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) using network platform manipulation campaigns on Twitter to limit access to news about protests in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As demonstrations aimed at protesting the CCP’s strict coronavirus lockdown measures spread to major cities, video evidence of violent confrontations between CCP authorities and protestors that were featured on Twitter were spammed by numerous Chinese-language accounts and bots with links to escort services alongside city names. Experts believe this was potentially an attempt to suppress news regarding the widespread protests in these cities.

In light of this news, as well as the CCP’s growing cyber capabilities, which include foreign malign influence operations, I requested information regarding this recent potentially malicious activity, as well as details on Twitter’s own capabilities for detecting and identifying any such activity in the future. If the CCP can successfully execute these campaigns against its own people, it may also attempt such influence operations against social media users in other countries, including ours. That’s why we need to understand the full scope of this issue and how Twitter can work to prevent such misinformation campaigns from succeeding in the future. You can read my full letter to Twitter here.

Last week, I was honored to receive the Infrastructure Investment and Safety Act HERO Award from Cathy Chase, President of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, in recognition of my efforts in Congress to increase motor vehicle safety and, as the award states, to “make our nation’s roadways safer for all.” In my position as Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, I have worked to increase road safety by uncovering potentially lethal misrepresentations in the booster seat industry and introducing legislation to end those dangers through comprehensive labeling and safety testing. I was also proud to author the States Afforded Funding Extensions to Oppose Driving Recklessly in Vehicular Engagements (SAFE TO DRIVE) Act, which is already providing grants to states to save lives by expanding their programs to combat distracted driving through education and enforcement. As a parent myself, safety on the road is a top priority for me, and I look forward to continuing my work on improving vehicle safety in the future.

Last week, I wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting information on how the department is monitoring and addressing the alarming rise in antisemitic content and other hate speech online. This comes a year after a dramatic increase in antisemitic activity, resulting in a record 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism against Jewish people in 2021 alone, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the levels of this type of language have jumped further, with an increase in the volume of antisemitic tweets of more than 61 percent in the first two weeks following Musk’s takeover. The problem has been exacerbated by high-profile individuals such as famous rapper Ye West, formerly known as Kanye West, promoting antisemitic ideas and figures. Under Musk, content moderation has been dramatically reduced, and there is widespread concern among experts that the growth in antisemitic content, paired with the recent return of hate groups to Twitter, could fuel increased antisemitic violence.

While mainstream media outlets have widely condemned such hateful speech and incidents, the coverage itself provides a platform for these hateful and extremist ideologies. I am asking Secretary Mayorkas to provide details surrounding this increase in hate speech, information on whether antisemitic actions or threats have increased since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, DHS’ findings on the relationship between online threats and violence, and if DHS is aware of any direct causes for the surges in antisemitic behavior referenced by the ADL. You can read my full letter to Secretary Mayorkas here.

The best way to stay up to date on these issues beyond our newsletter is through my social media accounts, which I update multiple times each day. You can follow my Twitter here, my Facebook page here, and my Instagram here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community. 

P.S. I always enjoy hearing from constituents, so feel free to comment and share my social media posts! Here are the links: Twitter here, Facebook page here, and Instagram here.