Tech CEOs deny claims of bias at contentious hearing
Republicans attacked Google, Facebook and Twitter, claiming they were “biased” against U.S. President Donald Trump during a tense virtual Senate hearing Wednesday.
The politicians repeatedly accused chief executives at the tech companies of double standards for editing, deleting or fact-checking Trump's posts, while allowing harmful hate speech to remain on their services.
Jack Dorsey, the Twitter chief executive, sparked wrath after claiming that Twitter did not have the power to influence elections.
The social network has become a direct line for politicians to voters and followers around the world, including Trump, who is renowned for his frequent tweets.
Under Dorsey's leadership, the company has introduced several rules on what can be posted on the social network to meet concerns that they could be used to influence voters and affect democracy. It has added several fact-checking labels to Trump's tweets, including a post about voting by mail.
Twitter's decision to block users from sharing a controversial New York Post article about Democratic challenger Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and locking the paper's Twitter account, was recent evidence of political bias, Sen. Ted Cruz claimed.
“Mr. Dorsey, who the hell elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report and what the American people are allowed to hear?” Cruz said.
He accused Dorsey of double standards for blocking the story because it was allegedly obtained through criminal means and allowing a New York Times article about Trump's tax returns to remain. Twitter said it suppressed the New York Post article because it contained hacked material. Cruz pointed out that the New York Times article used an individual's tax returns, the publication of which is also illegal in the U.S.
Dorsey agreed that they had made a mistake on the New York Post article, but disagreed that the New York Times should have been blocked.
Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook stood for “free expression and to be a platform for all ideas,” but admitted that it was “a big company and mistakes are made from time to time.”
Zuckerberg, Dorsey and the CEO of Alphabet Inc.’s Google said Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — a digital law that grants the companies immunity from responsibility for what users post on their services — was crucial to free expression on the internet.
THIS IS BULLYING, AND IT IS FOR ELECTORAL PURPOSES
They said Section 230 gives them the tools to strike a balance between preserving free speech and moderating content, even as they appeared open to suggestions the l aw needs moderate changes.
All three CEOs also agreed the companies should be held liable if the platforms act as a publisher but denied being the referees over political speech.
Trump and several Republican politicians, i ncluding Cruz, have dangled the threat of repealing Section 230 if the companies do not cease alleged “censoring” of voices on the right. Without S230, big tech and other smaller internet companies could face an onslaught of lawsuits.
Trump, who alleges the firms stifle conservative voices, and Republican politicians sent a flurry of tweets as the hearing continued. “Repeal Section 230!” Trump tweeted.
Democrat senators dismissed the hearing and politicizing of S230 as a “sham” and “cheap stunt” to pressure social networks into allowing misinformation to remain online.
Democratic Senator Brian Schatz said he did not have any questions, calling the hearing “nonsense.”
“This is bullying and it is for electoral purposes,” he said.
Other Democrats including Tammy Baldwin, Ed Markey and Amy Klobuchar also said the hearing was held to help President Donald Trump's re-election effort.