House Republicans want Meta to be transparent about its content moderation policy on threads.
House Republicans are demanding answers from Meta regarding potential violations of free speech on its new Twitter-style platform, Threads.
The letter, exclusively obtained by CNBC, suggests that Meta’s latest product could face scrutiny in Congress.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to provide documents about Threads’ content moderation practices by the end of July.
Zuckerberg launched Threads as an alternative to Twitter, which has faced criticism for censorship. Elon Musk’s release of internal files revealed censorship of Americans at the direction of elements within the federal government.
Mr. Jordan expressed concerns about potential First Amendment violations on the Threads platform, stating that it has been marketed as a rival to Elon Musk’s Twitter.
House GOP Investigating Big Tech Censorship
This is the latest investigation by House Republicans into Meta and other tech platforms’ alleged collusion with the Biden administration in censoring dissenting voices, particularly from conservatives.
In February, Jordan sent Meta a subpoena related to the Judiciary Committee’s ongoing investigation into the Democrats’ influence on big tech content moderation.
The congressman has expanded the inquiry to cover material related to Threads.
Rep. Jordan wrote, ”Since the Committee’s subpoena to Meta, we have obtained additional evidence that the federal government has coerced or colluded with technology, social media, and other companies to moderate content online.”
He added that the earlier subpoena applies to Threads despite its recent launch.
The recent letter serves as a formal notice to instruct Meta to provide all relevant information and documents related to Threads and content moderation discussions with the Biden administration by July 31.
Meanwhile, House Democrats have criticized the Republican probes of tech platforms’ content moderation practices, arguing that private companies have the right to ban content on their platforms.
Republicans Concerned About Meta’s Motives
After purchasing Twitter, Musk expressed his desire for the platform to conform to his ideas of absolute freedom of speech, with some exceptions for inciting violence or criminal activity.
Although Meta executives have stated that Threads should not be dominated by news and politics, many users still discuss these subjects on the platform.
If Meta starts censoring users’ political views on Threads, it could face political backlash.
Rep. Jordan wrote, ”Despite launching only 12 days ago, there are reports that Threads is already engaging in censorship, including censoring users without offering grounds for appeal.”
He expressed concerns about Meta’s history of censoring First Amendment-protected speech at the request of government agencies.
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