Senate Intelligence Urges Disclosure of Online Political Ads in Russia Report

Congress should consider legislation to require social media platforms disclose sponsors of political advertisements, the Senate Intelligence Committee reported Tuesday on a two-year investigation on Russia’s 2016 election meddling. The recommendation mirrors the Honest Ads Act (S-1356), from Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va.; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (see 1905080075). The bill would require online political ads have the “same transparency and disclosure requirements as ads sold on TV, radio and satellite.” The report recommended the executive branch “publicly reinforce the danger of attempted foreign interference in the 2020 election,” through an interagency task force to monitor social media and public media literacy initiatives. Social media companies should facilitate more public-private information-sharing, the panel said.