FBI’s Wray: FBI Will Pursue ‘More Engagement’ with Social Media Companies Despite 5th Circuit Ruling

BLUMENTHAL Courts are making ░░░░░░░░ that if upheld would ░░░░░░░░ additional obstacles to your ░░░░░░░░ against foreign interference are ░░░░░░░░ concerned about the Fifth ░░░░░░░░ saying in effect that ░░░░░░░░ can t communicate with ░░░░░░░░ media to alert them ░░░░░░░░ threats Wray Well first ░░░░░░░░ you know this is ░░░░░░░░ subject of ongoing litigation ░░░░░░░░ findings of the lower ░░░░░░░░ in that litigation are ░░░░░░░░ that are hotly contested ░░░░░░░░ the department s filings ░░░░░░░░ as you know the ░░░░░░░░ has asked the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ to not only stay ░░░░░░░░ injunction but to grant ░░░░░░░░ and it has done ░░░░░░░░ I will say and ░░░░░░░░ think this is important ░░░░░░░░ people to know it ░░░░░░░░ not seriously disputed that ░░░░░░░░ foreign adversaries have tried ░░░░░░░░ are continuing to try ░░░░░░░░ interfere in our elections ░░░░░░░░ it is not seriously ░░░░░░░░ that those foreign adversaries ░░░░░░░░ using social media including ░░░░░░░░ S social media platforms ░░░░░░░░ part of that effort ░░░░░░░░ historically our work in ░░░░░░░░ space has enjoyed widespread ░░░░░░░░ support In fact President ░░░░░░░░ himself rightly in 2018 ░░░░░░░░ 19 issued an executive ░░░░░░░░ on this very subject ░░░░░░░░ it a national emergency ░░░░░░░░ the Senate Intelligence Committee ░░░░░░░░ an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis ░░░░░░░░ much the same and ░░░░░░░░ for more engagement more ░░░░░░░░ with social media companies ░░░░░░░░ less The key the ░░░░░░░░ is making sure that ░░░░░░░░ s done in the ░░░░░░░░ way And that s ░░░░░░░░ we re committed to ░░░░░░░░ focused on the hidden ░░░░░░░░ of the foreign actor ░░░░░░░░ on the content itself ░░░░░░░░ BLUMENTHAL But just so ░░░░░░░░ is aware Director Wray ░░░░░░░░ announced and I m ░░░░░░░░ that the threat sharing ░░░░░░░░ the federal government in ░░░░░░░░ US related to foreign ░░░░░░░░ interference has been paused ░░░░░░░░ July end quote That ░░░░░░░░ a profoundly troubling change ░░░░░░░░ threatens our national security ░░░░░░░░ FBI and other law ░░░░░░░░ and intelligence agencies are ░░░░░░░░ effect handicapped they are ░░░░░░░░ by this ruling and ░░░░░░░░ that score and on ░░░░░░░░ many other areas where ░░░░░░░░ interference is not just ░░░░░░░░ it s ongoing It ░░░░░░░░ real an urgent a ░░░░░░░░ and present ongoing threat ░░░░░░░░ our democracy And I ░░░░░░░░ that my colleagues will ░░░░░░░░ your warning It s ░░░░░░░░ in characteristically understated terms ░░░░░░░░ I think it is ░░░░░░░░ profoundly important warning to ░░░░░░░░ committee and to the ░░░░░░░░