A group of House Democrats in districts hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton is urging tech companies to crack down on misinformation and scams about the storms and recovery efforts, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Lawmakers in both parties have been straining to stem the swarm of hurricane-related misinformation, with one Republican even issuing a fact sheet debunking common conspiracy theories.
- Republicans have also grappled internally over Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) claims on social media that scientists can influence severe weather events.
Driving the news: In a letter to seven social media companies, Reps. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) and Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) wrote that false claims about the hurricane have “exacerbated the challenges facing communities during this critical period.”
- The lawmakers pointed to reports of scammers posing online as fake Federal Emergency Management Agency relief programs to target hurricane victims.
- They also cited “particularly disturbing” reports of online harassment and death threats against meteorologists in the lead-up to Helene and Milton.
