Dear President-elect Donald Trump:

Today, at your press conference, you condemned what you correctly called “fake news” in relation to the publication of a report by BuzzFeed. The report, according to BuzzFeed itself, included unverified and incorrect claims that attacked your character and reputation.

Sadly, fake news has become an all too common problem in our great country and its chief enabler is the social network monopoly Facebook. Sadder still, Facebook is set to make the problem even worse for its estimated 157 million American users.

Under the guise of promoting journalistic integrity, Facebook is participating in a corrupt pay-to-play scheme with other tech monopolies and well-financed outlets looking to destroy their competitors and the free marketplace of ideas.

It all started with what was initially promoted as a “fact-checking” program, but has quickly morphed into a network within a network. Facebook, through an organization called the First Draft Partner Network, has joined with Google, Twitter, Youtube, and major moneyed-media companies like BuzzFeed, to control information shared on Facebook.

The social network monopoly is prepared to use its power to help its media partners continue to spread fake news, while also empowering them to label and silence rival independent media.

Unlike the wealthy and powerful such as yourself, when most Americans are smeared by these rotten interests they cannot fight back.

Another media company involved in this crooked scheme is The Washington Post. The Washington Post recently ran a story citing unverified claims by a group known as “PropOrNot” that labeled multiple independent media outlets as agents of a foreign power. Which foreign power? You guessed it, Russia. The go-to smear of the age.

When confronted with the threat of lawsuits for its unverified and incorrect claims, The Washington Post defended itself much the same way BuzzFeed has tried to defend itself today-claiming it does not “vouch” for what it reports on.

But purposely publishing unverified and incorrect information is not journalism, it’s fake news!

Like Wall Street, the social networking industry has proven it is not able to regulate itself. And, like the challenge posed from the monopolies of old, bold leadership is needed to free the American people from these interests’ domination and control.

We the people, need a 21st century Theodore Roosevelt to take on these powerful interests on behalf of the American people. Mr. President-elect, we need a champion.

We the people, call on you to bring actions to stop the spread of fake news and the crushing of dissent on Facebook.

We ask you, through executive order and/or enabling legislation, to task all relevant U.S. government agencies-such as the Commerce Department, the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission-to end Facebook’s corrupt pay-to-play scheme to silence dissent and spread fake news on behalf of its media business partners.

All Americans have the right to be heard and to be protected from fake news smears.