Protecting election integrity in the digital media arena 

Last year, I joined my colleagues on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to study the rise of China and its influence on the United States. We dug deeper into China’s purchase of American farmland, exposed censorship on platforms such as TikTok, and discovered fraudulent medical labs funded by the CCP. We exposed massive intellectual property theft and cyber espionage missions targeting our critical infrastructure.

The latest development in this saga is the concern about misinformation campaigns targeting our elections.

Over the last year, the select committee has heard from experts across numerous fields about emerging trends in digital media. Their testimony reinforces concerns over the advanced technologies being used in sophisticated misinformation campaigns intended to target social media users.

From AI to deepfakes, the rise in social media and algorithmic warfare is troubling to say the least. Our adversaries are getting more sophisticated, and as technology advances, it is critical our election integrity policies stay one step ahead. 

The cyber domain is an evolving arena in international conflict, with the CCP emerging as a prominent player, both on offense and on defense. Since the early 2000s, the Chinese state has been systematically involved in cyber espionage campaigns against the U.S., targeting government agencies, defense contractors, technology firms, and our critical infrastructure systems. These operations are part of a broader strategy to elevate the CCP’s economic and military position on a global stage. Because our democracy relies on safe and fair elections, it is crucial we take every step necessary to maintain and restore voter confidence and participation. This is one of the reasons why the Select Committee on the CCP’s work is so important. 

Last month, I questioned Gen. Paul Nakasone, Commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and NSA, Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, in a Select Committee hearing on the CCP’s cyber threat. They spoke about how our capabilities, between the public and private sectors, are the best in the world. We have numerous safeguards in place to ensure free and fair elections.

There are 8,800 separate jurisdictions at the state and local level that conduct election processes, which gives a flexible and decentralized system that can adapt to our complex electoral environment. It was designed this way for a reason. But as the CCP continues to innovate, we cannot be backed into a corner with respect to new and emerging capabilities that pose a direct threat to national security and election security.

As Director Wray stated, “[TikTok’s] parent company is effectively beholden to the Chinese government…[which] gives them the ability, should they so choose, to control the software on millions of devices, which means the opportunity to technically compromise millions of devices.” 

I have great faith in our democratic process and the will of the American people at the ballot box. But the emerging threat of technological misinformation campaigns consistently used by our adversaries seeks to interfere with that will. As a member of the Select Committee on the CCP as well as an American voter, I remain committed to protecting our elections and empowering citizens to exercise their rights.  

Dan Newhouse represents Washington’s 4th Congressional District and is a member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.