Exclusive - Fearful of fake news blitz, U.S. Census enlists help of tech giants

The U.S. Census Bureau has asked tech giants Google, Facebook and Twitter to help it fend off “fake news" campaigns it fears could disrupt the upcoming 2020 count, according to Census officials and multiple sources briefed on the matter. The push, the details of which have not been previously reported, follows warnings from data and cybersecurity experts dating back to 2016 that right-wing groups and foreign actors may borrow the “fake news” playbook from the last presidential election to dissuade immigrants from participating in the decennial count, the officials and sources told Reuters. Ron Jarmin, the Deputy Director of the Census Bureau, confirmed the bureau was anticipating disinformation campaigns, and was enlisting the help of big tech companies to fend off the threat.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WqTP9V