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Facebook, Google, Twitter To Face US Lawmakers About Tech 'Censorship' (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the shape-of-things-to-come dept.

Facebook, Google and Twitter are headed back to Washington next week to testify at a congressional hearing about alleged tech censorship. From a report: Tech companies have faced accusations that they're censoring conservative speech on their platforms. The companies have denied the allegations in the past. The hearing before the Senate Judiciary's subcommittee on the Constitution is scheduled for April 10 and is titled "Stifling Free Speech: Technological Censorship and the Public Discourse." A Facebook spokesperson said Neil Potts, its public policy director, will be testifying. Twitter and Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A source familiar with the Senate hearing said Twitter and Google officials will also be attending. The hearing will likely mark Potts' second congressional appearance next week. Facebook and Google officials are expected to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on April 9 to answer questions about the spread of white nationalism on their platforms.

4 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Censorship isn't a violation of 1st Amendment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I tend to agree with you, re platform vs publisher. But I've zero idea if what you're talking about is a belief or a law:

    - what rules exist that say if a platform starts censoring (automatically or via humans) the platform becomes a publisher?

    - and how , if they become a publisher, do they become liable for an opinion piece any more so than a newspaper?

    I'm not trolling, not meaning to make a point. I'm actually asking if we've rules / codes at the state or national level that codify these two activities (censoring, becoming liable for publishing others opinions ).

    Or is that what the hearings are about? Deciding to create new laws to govern the platform/publisher bidness?

  2. Re:Oh, good Lord... by Bodhammer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    https://www.economist.com/demo...

    --
    "I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
  3. Re: Elephant in the room. by sexconker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That interview as amazing. You can excuse anything Jack says with the "he's the head of the company, he doesn't know the details" bullshit, but Vijaya exposed their BS time after time after time with her responses.

    It'll be exhibit A when this shit goes to trial.

  4. Re:Elephant in the room. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So here is an example. When the Covington Kids scandal broke and people were still being fed only one side of the story, several prominent leftists came out asking to dox the kids and post their addresses and names, stating that their faces were "punchable", and asking to confront the kids at every opportunity. This includes Kathy Griffin, and several prominent journalists.