Cruz Wants Follow-Up Hearing With Rejected Witness Google
Senate Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, expects a follow-up hearing to focus exclusively on Google, he said Wednesday during a hearing before which he rejected the company’s witness. Google didn’t provide a witness with seniority comparable to representatives sent by Facebook and Twitter, Cruz said. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., rejected a Google witness for the same reason in 2018 (see 1809050057).
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Facebook and Twitter witnesses conceded content takedown mistakes but denied their platforms are guilty of any politically motivated bias, as suggested by Cruz and other Republicans. There are isolated mistakes, but employees check political leanings “at the door,” Facebook Public Policy Director Neil Potts said. Facebook wants a platform with as broad as possible of viewpoints and free expression of ideas, he said.
Twitter Public Policy and Philanthropy Director Carlos Monje apologized to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., for the platform's removing a 2017 Blackburn campaign ad deemed “inflammatory” that included a pro-life message. “We made the wrong call,” Monje said. Still, Monje insisted the platform doesn’t use political judgment to make any decisions about content or platform policies. The notion that Twitter would silence any voice is antithetical to its commitment to a diverse set of views, he said.
Monje acknowledged an issue in which Twitter’s auto suggestions weren’t populating with Republicans last year. The issue surfaced when the platform made an attempt to combat false information by down-ranking profiles with followers who had a history of bad behavior, Monje said.
Many areas of the tech industry need better oversight, but anti-conservative bias isn't one of them, said ranking member Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. Russian manipulation and harmful content deserve attention, she said. Anti-conservative bias claims have been disproven repeatedly, Hirono said, arguing Republicans like to bash traditionally liberal media. Hirono was the only Democrat present until Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., arrived about two hours into the hearing.
Big tech has the power to silence voices it disagrees with, Cruz said. Industry can create feeds that only comport with users’ political agendas, he said, calling it troubling because of the amount of people who get news from social media. Nobody wants the federal government to regulate speech, Cruz said, suggesting three potential remedies: adjusting Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, antitrust enforcement and principles of fraud. Cruz called Section 230 a federal subsidy that major media outlets like The New York Times don’t enjoy. It’s a town square with no mayor or body to oversee how the conversation is censored online, Blackburn said.
Potts conceded a possibility for unconscious bias, given Silicon Valley is traditionally liberal. Throughout the hearing, he repeatedly cited the company’s work with ex-Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and ex-American Civil Liberties Union Director-Washington Office Laura Murphy on reviews (see 1812180050) to ensure there’s no bias against conservatives, minorities or other groups. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said it’s “fantastic” Facebook is talking to Kyl, but nothing is going to change unless the corporate culture does first.
Blumenthal suggested Facebook publicize the reviews from Kyl and Murphy, and Cruz agreed with that. Potts declined to commit to publicizing the report. Earlier in the conversation, Potts also wouldn’t commit to saying Facebook is a neutral company, saying instead it’s a technology company first.