Virginia Senator Mark Warner wants to know what Facebook saw during the election.
Reuters reported Wednesday night that executives from Facebook, Google, and Twitter have been asked to testify publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where Warner is the ranking member. Part of its investigation into Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election, the November 1 hearing is expected to examine how Russian operatives used online tools to try to sow discord among the electorate and influence the race’s outcome.
In an interview with journalist Steve Clemons at the Washington Ideas Forum, an annual conference hosted by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic, Warner did not confirm the specifics of Reuters’ reporting. But he nevertheless discussed his demand that Facebook, and other tech companies, take the Russia investigation seriously.
“The social-media companies—Facebook, Twitter, and we’re asking Google as well—at first were very dismissive of the fact that their platforms were used both as vehicles for paid [Russian] advertising [and] as places where Russians were able to create fake accounts” to promote specific groups and articles, Warner said. “I think they need to be extremely forthcoming.”