{"id":2192800,"date":"2024-03-05T09:38:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-05T14:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wa-bill-gives-elections-access-to-nonprofit-that-aided-in-social-media-suppression\/"},"modified":"2024-03-05T09:42:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T14:42:29","slug":"wa-bill-gives-elections-access-to-nonprofit-that-aided-in-social-media-suppression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wa-bill-gives-elections-access-to-nonprofit-that-aided-in-social-media-suppression\/","title":{"rendered":"WA bill grants nonprofit aiding in social media suppression access to elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwa-bill-gives-elections-access-to-nonprofit-that-aided-in-social-media-suppression%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2192800&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Washington \u200dState\u200b Legislature Passes Bill\u200d Granting Unrestricted\u200d System Access \u2064to Nonprofit for Social Media Suppression<\/h2>\n<p>The Washington State \u200cLegislature has \u200crecently approved\u2064 a \u200cbill that has raised concerns among county election officials. The bill \u2063requires these officials to provide unrestricted system access to a New York state-based nonprofit. This\u200c nonprofit has been\u2063 involved in coordinated efforts to suppress social media content related to\u200b elections and COVID-19 &#8220;misinformation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Most troubling is that it sits and operates\u2063 outside of our firewall,&#8221; said Grant County Director of Central\u200b Services Tom Gaines. &#8220;We have no idea what it \u200bdoes, except what they tell us. It may be \u200cbenign\u2062 but the way \u200cit&#8217;s been framed&#8230; only validates our concerns.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, <a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/billsummary?BillNumber=5843&#038;Year=2021&#038;Initiative=false\">Senate Bill 5843<\/a> \u200dmandates \u2063the use \u2062of an operating system\u2063 called &#8220;Albert sensors&#8221;\u200b to detect cybersecurity threats. The \u200dbill passed \u2063the Senate with a vote of 46-3 \u2062on Feb. 2,\u200b but faced more opposition during the House \u200bvote \u200don Feb. \u200c27,\u2063 with\u200b 58 in favor\u200b and 37 opposed.<\/p>\n<p>Under this bill, \u2064county election\u2062 officials are\u200c also required \u200cto report \u2064any malicious activity or security breaches to the Secretary of\u200d State&#8217;s Office (SOS). Additionally, if a county refuses to certify election\u2064 results without\u2062 cause, the SOS\u200d has the authority to certify the results themselves.<\/p>\n<p>The bill mandates the use of the Albert sensor hardware, which\u2062 is \u2064widely used in county elections\u200b offices across the \u2064country. The Center\u200c for Internet Security \u2064(CIS), a New York\u2063 state-based nonprofit, manages this\u200d hardware. CIS collaborates with federal\u2064 and state agencies and\u2063 receives federal funding.\u2062 It also coordinated the\u2063 Elections Infrastructure\u2062 Information Sharing &#038; Analysis Center, which has been involved in\u200d relaying censorship requests to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platforms<\/a>\u2062 on \u200dbehalf of the Arizona Secretary of State&#8217;s Office.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, a federal judge\u2064 in \u200dLouisiana implicated CIS, the Biden administration, and others in a case regarding federal efforts to censor certain COVID-19 related content. \u2064The judge\u200b described their role \u2062as\u2063 similar to \u2062an Orwellian &#8220;Ministry of Truth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Proposed amendments\u200d to the bill\u2064 were rejected. One would have \u2062made \u2063CIS liable for \u200cany malicious activity caused\u200c by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawmakers-say-overhaul-needed-to-protect-fed-agencies-from-foreign-hacks\/\" title=\"Lawmakers Say Overhaul Needed to Protect Fed Agencies from Foreign Hacks\">intrusion detection system<\/a>, while another would have allowed counties to choose from various intrusion \u200ddetection systems.\u2062 However, these amendments were \u200crejected, with concerns that\u2063 they would weaken the bill.<\/p>\n<p>The bill also includes provisions\u2064 for the removal of \u200cany official who provides\u2064 unauthorized access to election software or hardware. A proposed amendment requiring a conviction before removal from \u2064office was\u200d rejected.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters\u200b of the bill argue that it is \u200dnecessary to\u200c protect the integrity of elections \u2064and ensure the security of voters \u2063and residents. However, critics, such as Lincoln County Commissioner \u2062Rob Coffman, believe that \u2064the bill \u2064is \u2064flawed and\u2063 does \u200dnot \u2062prioritize maintaining control over\u200b data and ensuring accountability.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u200b the opposition,\u200b the bill passed and will have significant implications for \u200delection \u200cprocesses \u200cin Washington State.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What specific measures will be put in place to prevent\u200c the potential abuse or misuse of unrestricted system\u2063 access granted to the \u2064nonprofit organization?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  They must provide \u2064unrestricted\u2063 system access \u2064to a nonprofit organization based \u200bin New York. The intent behind \u200cthis requirement is to allow the nonprofit to identify and suppress social media content related to elections \u200band COVID-19\u200c &#8220;misinformation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, this provision has raised serious concerns among county \u2062election officials. \u2064Grant County Director\u2064 of Central Services,\u200d Tom Gaines, \u200cexpressed his\u2063 worries about\u2062 the nonprofit operating outside their firewall and the lack \u200bof transparency surrounding their activities. While the nonprofit claims that its\u2063 intentions are benign, Gaines&#8217;s \u200cconcerns highlight the\u200d need for more information about their \u2063operations and objectives.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062bill, \u200csponsored by Senator Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, mandates the use \u200dof an operating system called &#8220;Albert sensors&#8221;\u200b \u2063to detect cybersecurity \u2063threats. The inclusion of this technology is intended to protect the state&#8217;s election systems from \u200cpotential\u200c threats. The Senate passed the bill with a strong majority of 46-3 on February 2, demonstrating initial support for the proposed measures. \u2064However, \u2063it faced more\u200b opposition\u200b during the House \u200cvote on February 27, with 58 in favor \u200band 37 opposed.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to requiring the use\u2064 of &#8220;Albert sensors,&#8221; the \u200bbill also \u200cobligates county election officials to report any malicious activity or security breaches they encounter to the Secretary of State&#8217;s \u2064Office. This reporting requirement is crucial \u200bfor maintaining the integrity and security of the state&#8217;s \u200delection systems.<\/p>\n<p>However, the provision that grants unrestricted system\u2063 access \u200bto a nonprofit organization raises concerns about\u2062 the potential for \u200dabuse or misuse of this access. It is \u200cessential to strike a \u200bbalance between ensuring cybersecurity and protecting freedom \u2063of speech and\u200c privacy rights. Transparency\u200d and accountability are fundamental principles that must be \u2064upheld to maintain public trust in the electoral process.<\/p>\n<p>As this bill moves forward, it is crucial for \u200blegislators to\u2064 address the concerns raised by county \u2063election officials\u200c and the public. Safeguards should be put in place to ensure the\u2063 activities\u2062 of the \u2064nonprofit organization are in line\u2062 with\u200c the intended\u2063 purposes of \u2062detecting \u2062and preventing cybersecurity\u200c threats. Furthermore, robust oversight mechanisms \u200dshould be established to monitor the organization&#8217;s\u200d actions and prevent any overreach or suppression of legitimate content.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the passage of Senate Bill \u20635843 by the Washington State Legislature has raised concerns among \u2064county\u200c election officials. \u200dGranting unrestricted system\u2064 access to a nonprofit\u2063 organization for \u2062the purpose of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nolte-hunter-biden-laptop-whistleblower-john-paul-mac-isaac-the-breitbart-news-interview\/\" title=\"Nolte: Hunter Biden Laptop Whistleblower John Paul Mac Isaac \u2014 The Breitbart News Interview\">social media suppression<\/a> requires careful\u200d consideration. While the bill aims to enhance cybersecurity measures,\u2063 transparency and accountability must \u2063be prioritized \u2062to protect free speech and\u200d privacy rights. \u2062Legislators should address these\u200b concerns and\u2062 ensure sufficient oversight to\u2064 maintain public trust \u200cin the electoral process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Washington State Legislature passed a bill requiring county election officials to grant unrestricted system access to a New York nonprofit. This organization assisted government agencies in coordinating social media suppression efforts with other states, targeting election and COVID-19 &#8220;misinformation.&#8221; Concerns arise as it operates independently from local jurisdiction<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2945,"featured_media":2192801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/istock-cyber-attack-security-breach-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2192800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/istock-cyber-attack-security-breach-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2192800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2945"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2192800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2192800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2192801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2192800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2192800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2192800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}