Zuckerberg: Facebook ‘better prepared’ ahead of midterms

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday that the social network is better equipped to fight potential interference efforts ahead of this year’s midterm elections than it was in 2016.

“In 2016, our election security efforts prepared us for traditional cyberattacks like phishing, malware, and hacking,” he wrote in a blog post. “We identified those and notified the government and those affected. What we didn’t expect were foreign actors launching coordinated information operations with networks of fake accounts spreading division and misinformation.”

“Today, Facebook is better prepared for these kinds of attacks,” he continued.

{mosads}In the lengthy note to users, Zuckerberg outlined the steps Facebook has taken since the 2016 election to combat misinformation and promote transparency in its advertising practices. He also said that the company has stepped up its cooperation with governments to identify potential threats.

Last month, Facebook and other major online platforms cracked down on alleged Iranian and Russian operations that used fake accounts to meddle in other countries’ elections.

The ramped-up security measures also come as the company is being scrutinized by regulators over a privacy scandal in which the now-defunct political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained data on millions of Facebook users.

“This effort is part of a broader challenge to rework much of how Facebook operates to be more proactive about protecting our community from harm and taking a broader view of our responsibility overall,” Zuckerberg wrote.