Colin Stretch, Facebook general counsel, testifies Nov. 1, 2017, during a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi/ ALM

Colin Stretch's days at Facebook are numbered, but that hasn't stopped him from worrying about the impact of companies like his ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections in the United States.

Stretch, Facebook's general counsel in Washington, D.C., since 2013, has plans to leave the media and technology company at the end of 2018. Speaking on a panel at the American Bar Association's 28th annual review of national security law on Friday, he said “election integrity generally, not just here but around the world” remains the issue that keeps him up at night and concerns him most regarding social media and national security.

Investigations into foreign meddling into the 2016 U.S. elections have helped put a spotlight on the ways Facebook's platform allowed users to amplify false information, including content generated by foreign interests that appeared designed to sway voters. Stretch said his company's close-working relationship with federal law enforcement and industry to combat terrorist propaganda could serve as a “blueprint” for thwarting disinformation campaigns moving forward.

The line marking what sort of content Facebook allows to be disseminated is constantly changing and, Stretch insisted, the company is working tirelessly to govern itself.

“There is a significant responsibility that we get it right. We do make mistakes, the line [of permissible content and behavior] does move, and so the only way we can engender the sort of trust both with people who use our services as well as policymakers is to be transparent about how we're thinking about these issues,” Stetch said on Friday.

Stretch said Facebook has “tremendous respect” for U.S. national security agencies and has put a “significant amount of resources” into ensuring that the company is responsive to requests for information—whether it ultimately chooses to comply or not.

The outcome of the midterm elections could help determine who fills Stretch's shoes at Facebook. Especially if the balance of power flips in the House of Representatives to Democratic control, a bevy of anticipated investigations could mean Facebook would be well-served by someone with deep ties on Capitol Hill. Some recruiters have predicted Facebook's next GC will be someone who knows the Hill inside-and-out.

Stretch, who was called to testify before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee last November, held more experience in the judiciary and at the Supreme Court before joining Facebook. After clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in the 1990s, he was partner at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel in D.C., for 10 years. In recent months, he's taken to sharing content from his former firm on Twitter.

Stretch gave no hint about his future plans during his Friday appearance, but he appears unlikely to follow his brother Brian Stretch to California, where Brian Stretch was formerly the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California.

In announcing his decision in July to leave Facebook, Colin Stretch noted that he knew the end of his tenure at the company would come when his family decided to leave California to return to Washington.

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