Justice Dept. to Share Foreign Election Threat Intel with Tech Companies

The Justice Department remains dedicated to sharing information with social media companies about foreign efforts to influence this year's elections, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco will tell a lawyers' conference. Speaking at the American Bar Association's annual meeting, Monaco, the department's No. 2 official, will state that while technology companies ultimately decide on actions, "We will provide companies with actionable intelligence so they can make decisions regarding abuse of their platforms by adversaries conducting foreign malign influence operations, including ones targeting our elections."

"These threats are on the rise, and it's unacceptable. No one should endure threats of violence simply for doing their job," Monaco said, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "For the right to vote to be real for every American, election officials — who are often volunteers — must be able to do their jobs free from improper influence, physical threats, or any other conduct designed to intimidate."

Election Security and Foreign Threats

Monaco's comments form part of a broader speech on election security where she will also highlight that Russia remains the primary foreign threat to elections. Moscow targets specific voting demographics and uses encrypted direct-messaging apps to reach Americans. Additionally, she will sound an alarm about the increasing threat of violence against public officials, including election workers.

The Justice Department has prosecuted nearly 700 threat cases in the last two years, with almost half involving public officials. This statistic underscores the rising danger faced by those in public service roles.

Supreme Court Ruling and Social Media

Monaco's remarks come weeks after a Supreme Court ruling allowed the federal government to interact with social media companies. The justices ruled against Republican-led states who claimed federal officials pressured platforms to unconstitutionally suppress conservative viewpoints. The court determined that these states and other parties lacked the legal standing to sue.

This week, the department also publicly released procedures for the first time that outline how the FBI decides when to share information with social media companies about threats to their platforms. This step was encouraged by a recent report from the Justice Department inspector general.

FBI Procedures for Sharing Information

Under these new procedures, the FBI may contact companies if it identifies activities on a platform conducted by or on behalf of a foreign government supporting an influence operation. The procedures specify that the FBI must clarify it is not asking the social media company to take any action and that there is no obligation for them to do so.

"As we carry out this work, we will continue to keep the public updated about not only why we are doing this but also how we're doing it," Monaco will say.

Lawyers' Role in Upholding Democracy

The speech is scheduled at the ABA's Democracy Summit in Chicago. Monaco will remind lawyers of their duty to uphold the rule of law and promote faith in election integrity. "Our republic depends on the operation of a free and fair electoral process — with results that are respected and with elections that are free from violence and free from foreign interference," Monaco will say.

The Justice Department's commitment to election security highlights its ongoing efforts to protect democratic processes from foreign interference and domestic threats. By working closely with social media companies and maintaining transparency with the public, they aim to safeguard election integrity.