Balance of Power: Mueller Unfriends Facebook as Probe Zeroes In
Balance of Power: Mueller Unfriends Facebook as Probe Zeroes In
(Bloomberg) -- A reckoning is coming for Facebook.
The social media giant was already on the defensive after top Senate investigators said it and related companies like Twitter need to be more forthcoming about Russian manipulation of their platforms during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Now, officials involved in the federal probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller say social media is a “red-hot” focus of their inquiry. No one is accusing CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s company of wrongdoing and Russia rejects accusations that it hacks.
Yet one thing is clear: Facebook’s revelation that $100,000 in ad spending was connected to fake accounts probably run from Russia is just the “tip of the iceberg,” as Senator Mark Warner said.
Social media has become the soft underbelly of global espionage, one U.S. intelligence official told Bloomberg, and it’s not clear the U.S. or any other government knows how to defend against this 21st century battle.
As U.S. officials struggle to get a handle on what happened last year, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats issued a warning: Cyber operations by Russia are only getting more aggressive.
Global Headlines
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Merkel's funk | Unlikely as it may seem, a former German radio DJ sees a chance to snatch the parliamentary district Angela Merkel has held for the past 27 years. Leif-Erik Holm, a member of the Alternative for Germany party, says a well of anger about migration will work in his favor. The mere notion of a close race underscores just how much the chancellor's refugee policy is shifting the electoral math. For more news and features from the campaign trail, visit our election hub page.
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And finally... Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asked to use a U.S. Air Force jet for his honeymoon to Europe last month to ensure secure communications with Washington. Although the request was withdrawn, ABC News reports that the Treasury’s inspector general is now investigating multi-millionaire Mnuchin’s bid to have taxpayers stump up $25,000 an hour for his personal travel.
--With assistance from Ben Sills