October 31, 2017

Al Franken Tears Into Facebook Counsel at Senate Hearing

“You can’t put together rubles with a political ad?”

Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Newscom via ZUMA

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At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today investigating Russian interference on social-media platforms during the 2016 election, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) tore into Facebook’s general counsel, Colin Stretch, over Russian ads on the platform. 

“How did Facebook, which prides itself on being able to process billions of data points and instantly transform them into personal connections for its users, somehow not make the connection that electoral ads paid for in rubles were coming from Russia?” an incredulous Franken asked Stretch. “Those are two data points! American political ads, and Russian money, rubles. How could you not connect those two dots?

When Stretch tried to explain Facebook’s efforts to address the issues, acknowledging that Facebook, “in hindsight, should have had a broader lens,” and that “signals were missed,” Franken immediately shot back: “People are buying ads on your platforms with rubles…You put billions of data points together all the time. You can’t put together rubles with a political ad and go, hmm, those two data points spell out something bad?” 

Watch the heated exchange here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dENI2nbhDrA&feature=youtu.be&a

Legal representatives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google have begun testifying this week on Russian interference on their platforms. 

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

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