*By Michael Teich*
Democrats led by Senator Mark Warner are stepping up the charge against big tech, but they may not accomplish anything unless the party makes major gains in the midterm elections, according to Axios reporter David McCabe.
Disinformation and privacy concerns on social media platforms have become a major concern of many lawmakers after Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was uncovered.
"It's not hugely surprising to see Democrats engaging on the disinformation piece because of the concerns about 2016," McCabe said Tuesday in an interview with Cheddar.
Facebook has spent nearly two years working to counter political misinformation campaigns on its platform. The company announced Tuesday it found and removed 32 pages and accounts linked to an influence campaign on Facebook and Instagram. Warner said in a statement Tuesday that "the Kremlin continues to exploit platforms like Facebook to sow division and spread disinformation."
Before Facebook's announcement, McCabe had obtained Warner's policy papers, which propose 20 ways to address disinformation online, protect user privacy, and encourage greater competition.
McCabe said he's skeptical that Warner's proposals can be enacted in the near-term. Despite a growing tech-lash and heightened concerns over data privacy that resulted from Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal, the issues are not priorities for Democrats or Republicans.
"Going into midterms, this hasn’t proven to be a big election issue," McCabe said before Facebook's latest revelation.
If Democrats can shift party control of Congress in November, they may be able to get enough momentum behind Warner's ideas, said McCabe. But even if they do well in midterms, the Democrats will have to go up against big tech's robust lobbying efforts. McCabe said the Democrats' intentions, as outlined by Warner, may prompt tech companies to spend even more on lobbying lawmakers in Washington.
In September, legislators will question social media executives including Twitter's Jack Dorsey in order to evaluate how government regulations might prevent the spread of misinformation and propaganda on social platforms.
For more on this, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mark-warners-uphill-battle-against-big-tech).
As 2021 is approaching its end, the meme stock mania that surrounded companies like Gamestop and AMC this year doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Stocks for both companies plunged to their lowest levels in months on Monday, but on Tuesday, traders seemed to come to the rescue, as the stocks for both companies saw rebounds. Great Hill Capital Chariman Thomas Hayes joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Upward Farms is an indoor vertical farming company on a mission to heal our broken food system and reconnect consumers with organic locally-grown food. The Brooklyn-based company uses its controlled environment farms to grow organic leafy greens, which are sold at whole foods markets in New York City. Upward Farms co-founder and CEO Jason Green joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
One of the biggest hurdles when it comes to widespread electric vehicle adoption is consumer hesitation about their ability to keep their EV charged if they take a longer trip outside of their locality. Now, electric companies nationwide are teaming up as part of a coalition to build out a network of EV charging stations spanning major U.S. travel corridors. Kellen Schefter, director of electric transportation at the Edison Electric Institute, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the coalition's plans, how drivers can compare fueling up with gas to recharging an EV on a long trip, how the charging network will be funded, and more.
The NBA's Golden State Warriors announced a partnership with crypto exchange FTX. It will become the official crypto trading platform for the franchise as well as home to a number of NFTs it plans to drop. Brandon Schneider, president and chief operating officer of the team, joined Cheddar's Kristen Scholer to provide some background on the deal and talked about how digital assets are transforming the world of sports. "We as a society, not just in sports, are kind of at the beginning of the beginning with crypto and NFTs specifically, so we're really excited to partner with FTX to see where we can take this together," he said.
As more states begin to legalize recreational marijuana, there's a growing interest in legalizing cannabis cultivation. As the rise in cannabis farms expands across the U.S., more research is being done to examine its impact on the planet. Michael Katz, executive director at Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, joins Cheddar News to talk about the carbon footprint of cannabis farms.
With the new year right around the corner, people are starting to set lofty goals for 2022. However, research shows that very few people actually attain their new year's goals, and with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, it may be even tougher this year. Sandee Sgarlata, expert happiness coach and author of 'Happiness Solved,' joined Cheddar News to offer tips on how to actually help your 2022 resolutions stick.
