Washington, D.C. –Representative Rick Crawford sent a letter to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg seeking more detailed information about the ads, funds, and sources of Russian-based advertising that was displayed on his official Facebook page. Crawford, who recently deleted his Facebook page due to these concerns, believes the information shared in recent hearings did not go far enough in allaying his concerns and that of his constituents regarding the ads that were displayed on his official page, the revenue that Facebook earned as a result, and who was behind the ads that were placed.
Late last year, Representative Crawford was one of the first members of congress to begin the conversation if Facebook was a platform that members of congress could trust based on the model they utilize to monetize user’s data, use, and engagement on their platform. At that time, he outwardly expressed the need to consider new models of communication that cherished the communication between an electorate and their officials void of commercialization and profiteering.
“Mark Zuckerberg did not adequately address the concerns I highlight in my letter from his recent appearance on Capitol Hill. While I have little reason to believe he will actually respond to my request, it is in the public’s interest to know what kind of ads were placed on my official page, how much money Facebook made off those ads, and which constituents were victims in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. With all this information coming to light, I have gone ahead and replaced Facebook with a new text system that I hope will grow and surpass what Facebook was for my office and my constituents,” said Crawford.
The letter can be found here.