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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 6 March 2020

Pelosi lambastes Facebook over Trump ad a week before census

By MIKE SCHNEIDER and Census Bureau officials backfires on Trump’s own
AMANDA SEITZ have been on high alert supporters, Thompson said.
Associated Press for online misinformation “I don’t know that they
Facebook on Thursday aimed at confusing people would want to have con-
started taking down ads for about who is eligible to fusion,” said Thompson,
the reelection campaign fill out the form or how to who served in the Obama
of President Donald Trump properly file it, along with administration. “It could
that direct people to a sur- imitation websites posing have a reverse impact on
vey labeled a “census,” as the official census site. the Trump administration,
hours after House Speaker The bureau has spent the (it) could create an under-
Nancy Pelosi said people last year forging relation- representation of their con-
would confuse it with the ships with the major tech stituents in the census.”
once-a-decade head platforms -- Facebook, Meanwhile, in the U.S Sen-
count. Twitter and Google -- to ate, Democratic senators
Facebook said in a state- put out accurate informa- told U.S. Commerce Sec-
ment that it was enforcing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., flanked by Rep. Karen tion about how the census retary Wilbur Ross, whose
its policies to prevent con- Bass, D-Calif., chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, left, works and yank misinforma- department oversees the
fusion over the 2020 cen- and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chair of the Congressional tion about the form from U.S. Census Bureau, they
Hispanic Caucus, speaks to the media about the 2020 Census
sus, which begins for most and the concern for getting an accurate count in minority com- their sites. felt misled by his testimony
people next week. munities on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2020. In January, Facebook be- almost two years ago on
“There are policies in Associated Press gan banning ads that dis- the origins of a failed citi-
place to prevent confu- courage people from par- zenship question. Ross was
sion around the official it motive is their business their information, among ticipating in the census or testifying Thursday before
U.S. Census and this is an model, but it should not other questions. portray it as “useless.” The the Senate Committee on
example of those being come at the cost of count- Similar mailings have been ban applies to ads on both Appropriations.
enforced,” the Facebook ing who is in our country.” distributed around the U.S. Facebook and Instagram, The U.S. Supreme Court
statement said. The ad says, “President On Thursday, four Demo- which Facebook owns. The blocked the Trump admin-
Earlier in the day, Pelosi Trump needs you to take cratic House members — platform also announced istration last summer from
had called the survey the Official 2020 Congres- Reps. Carolyn Maloney of that misleading posts adding a citizenship ques-
sponsored by the Trump sional District Census to- New York, Jamie Raskin of about the census would be tion to the 2020 question-
reelection campaign, “an day.” Clicking on a red Maryland, Gerry Connolly subject to removal. Typi- naire. The administration
absolute lie.” button saying “Take the of Virginia, and Katie Porter cally, the platform does not had said the question was
“A lie that is consistent Survey” leads to a website of California — demanded remove false or misleading being added to aid the
with the misrepresentation with questions asking visi- in a letter that the Repub- content from its site, unless Justice Department in en-
policy of Facebook,” Pe- tors about party affiliation, lican National Committee it gives wrong information forcing a law that protects
losi said. “But now they’re whether they intend to sup- stop any mailings or online about voting. minority voters’ access to
messing with who we are as port Trump and which me- ads that resemble Census The Trump campaign on the ballot box. But the high
Americans. I know the prof- dia organizations they get Bureau documents. Tuesday began running court said the administra-
different versions of the tion’s justification for the
census ad on Facebook question “seems to have
across the country from been contrived.”
Trump and Vice President Opponents argued it
Mike Pence’s official Face- would have intimidated
book page. The campaign immigrants, Hispanics and
purchased thousands of others from participating in
the online ads that were the once-a-decade head
viewed thousands of times count that determines how
before Facebook began $1.5 trillion in federal spend-
removing them Thursday. ing is allocated and how
Former Census Bureau di- many congressional seats
rector John Thompson said each state gets.
the Trump campaign has “Your statements were to-
put a new spin on an old tally false,” Democratic
campaign strategy: For U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of
years, Republicans have Vermont told Ross during
sent fundraising mailers the hearing. “There is now
that mimic the census. an avalanche of evidence
Although it’s hard to tell if showing you repeatedly
those tactics have had any pressured both the Jus-
impact on the response tice Department and the
rate to the census, Thomp- Census Bureau for nearly a
son said “the less confusion, year to support adding the
the better” when it comes question.”
to the once-every-decade Ross denied misleading
survey. Trump’s ads and the senators.“”My state-
the Republican mailers ments were correct then.
could dupe some people They were true then. They
into thinking they’ve al- are correct now. They are
ready filled out the official true now,” Ross said. Leahy
census form, and if there’s responded, “The evidence
any consequence at all, we’ve seen shows they
it could be that the move were not true.”q