Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine says the recent discovery of new Facebook campaigns to influence elections in November are about more than voting in the fall.
In an appearance on CNN Wednesday morning, he said the posts are part of a concerted effort to undermine the American system of government.
“They’re taking the strengths of our country — free expression, First Amendment and a democratic system where opinion matters, information matters — and they’re turning it on us,” he says.
King sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will hold a hearing on the matter at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. He says Congress is tasked with determining whether the source of the campaigns can be identified and what responsibility Facebook has in the spread of disinformation.
“I think this is one of the great dilemmas of how do we balance national security and privacy,” he says.