There is 'absolutely' a risk of more tech regulation ahead: Greyfire Advisory CEO
- Greater government oversight could be in the cards for companies like Facebook, says Danielle Kayembe, founder and CEO of Greyfire Advisory.
- When someone "weaponizes" these platforms, "the government is forced to take a stand and show that they've taken tangible steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," she says.
As controversies over foreign involvement in politics widen, greater government oversight could be in the cards for companies like Facebook, Danielle Kayembe, founder and CEO of Greyfire Advisory, told CNBC recently.
Facebook has shared about 3,000 ads bought by Russia-linked groups with the congressional committees investigating the Russian influence on the 2016 election.
Google has also discovered that Russian operatives spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads on its platforms, while Twitter sold more than $270,000 of ads to Russia-linked accounts.
Asked about the possibility of greater government oversight for these companies, Kayembe said, "I think there's absolutely a risk of that."
When these platforms are "weaponized," "the government is forced to take a stand and show that they've taken tangible steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," she told CNBC's "Power Lunch."
But governments aren't the only ones who should be monitoring these companies, according to Kayembe.
"They [the platforms themselves] do have a responsibility to address these issues and to put in some safeguards," she said.
In an interview Thursday with Axios, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the social media giant has invested heavily in machine learning to find "bad actors" on its platform.
However, not everyone feels confident about this move.
"I do not trust the machines to do what people can do at this stage of the game," Jim Cramer said Thursday on "Squawk on the Street."
"But it would cost them money to have humans to review and spot check, and yet humans are the only ones right now who can detect this," the "Mad Money" host added. "When it comes to fake news and lies, you actually need a human component."
Kayembe did not specifically comment on Facebook's machine learning, but she emphasized the company's delicate situation.
"I think these firms have a steep climb ahead of them to make sure that they stay on the right side of this issue," she said.