Democrats and Republicans United in Big Tech Frustration – Nextgov
In their first appearance before Congress since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the chief executives of Facebook, Googleand Twitter faced frustrated lawmakers in a hearing on the role of social media in the spread of disinformation and extremism.
Lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee spent much of the Thursday hearing attempting to push Google and Alphabets Sundar Pichai, Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, and Twitters Jack Dorsey into answering yes or no questions around whether the platforms had any responsibility in the attack on the Capitol, whether the individual CEOs believe the COVID-19 vaccines work, and why platforms still allow harmful hashtags associating Asian people with the coronavirus.
The CEOs endeavored for a diplomatic posture by shrouding their views under the cover of nuance. Partway through her questioning, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., likened the inability to answer the yes or no questions to the filibuster.
We dont do filibuster in the House, she said.
While what to do about disinformation is not a simple binary, the conversation between lawmakers and Big Tech continues to appear as a triangle-shaped stalemate, with Big Tech, Republicansand Democrats at each point. Dorsey dryly summed up the impasse during his opening remarks.
Some of you will say were doing too much in removing free speech rights. Some of you will say were not doing enough and then end up causing more harm, Dorsey said. Both are reasonable and worth exploring.
Despite the willingness of the CEOs to elaborate on the actions they have taken, such as setting up fact-checking programs, promoting reliable COVID-19 information, and taking down content that violates company policies, they were less forthcoming when asked about specific areas where those efforts have failed to do enough to address the problem of misinformation.
The hearing came less than a week after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an assessment that found domestic violent extremists exploit a variety of popular social media platforms, smaller websites with targeted audiences, and encrypted chat applications to recruit new adherents, plan and rally support for in-person actions, and disseminate materials that contribute to radicalization and mobilization to violence.
Left unacknowledged is how the lobbying power of these tech companies influences the debate. The non-profit consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen published a report Wednesday showing that Facebook is now the top individual corporate lobbying spender. The same report found 94% of lawmakers with jurisdiction over large tech firms received financial contributions from political action committees or lobbyists associated with those companies.
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee received nearly $620,000, while Republicans on the committee received more than $420,000, from big tech PACs or lobbyists, according to the report.
Importantly, the mere fact of a corporate contribution does not automatically compromise a legislator, the Public Citizen report reads. Some legislators and committees who have received Big Tech PAC and lobbyist funds have conducted the most thorough investigations and hearings on Big Tech in decades, and have introduced the boldest legislation to stifle the corporations unfettered growth to date. At the same time, there is no doubt companies direct their campaign funds in order to gain access and influence.
Vectors for lawmaker questions varied and included the recent mass shooting outside of Atlanta that killed eightpeople, six of whom were Asian American, in addition to other issues such as the COVID-19 vaccine, bullying and sex trafficking. But the primary policy issue at hand is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. A policy reviled by former President Donald Trump and some Democrats, the 26-word provision protects free speech online by providing liability protection for platforms that host or re-publish the speech of others, according to an explanation from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Zuckerberg in his prepared testimony proposed several changes to Section 230. Rather than granting platforms immunity, Section 230 should require demonstrations that platforms have systems in place for identifying and removing unlawful content, Zuckerberg said. But those platforms should still not be held liable if a particular piece of content evades detection.
According to civil society organizations such as EFF and Fight for the Future, Zuckerbergs proposal is problematic on several points.
Of courseFacebook wants to see changes to Section 230, Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future, said during a livestream ahead of the hearing. Because they know it will simply serve to solidify their monopoly power and crush competition from smaller and more decentralized platforms.
Instead, Greer said, lawmakers should pass federal data privacy legislation and enforce antitrust laws, particularly those that target practices like the nontransparent manipulation of algorithms. Zuckerberg said during the hearing he believes Congress should establish national privacy legislation.
In a post on its website, EFF called Zuckerbergs proposal an explicit plea to create a legal regime that only Facebook, and perhaps a few other dominant online services, could meet. Ultimately, the proposal would lead to increased censorship while still failing to address problems with online misinformation because of the narrow definition of what content is actually illegal, according to EFF.
During the hearing, Zuckerberg clarified that he doesnt want the Section 230 reforms he is proposing to impact startups and small companies right away.
I want to be clear that the recommendations that I'm making for Section 230 I would only have applied to larger platforms, Zuckerberg told Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah. I think it's really critical that a small platform, you know the next student in a dorm room or garage needs to have a relatively low as possible regulatory burden in order to be able to innovate and then get to the scale where they can afford to put those kinds of systems in place.
Dorsey said the real issue is algorithms. He called for more algorithmic choice in his testimony. Fixing issues with algorithms and the need to give individual users more power over them would be a tough change, Dorsey said, but its the most impactful.
More:
Democrats and Republicans United in Big Tech Frustration - Nextgov
- Susan Collins finally got her dream job. Fellow Republicans are making it a nightmare. - Politico - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans in Congress Shift to Backing Ukraine, Matching Trumps Reversal - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- House Speaker Johnson joins growing number of Republicans pressing Trump administration for more transparency on Epstein case - CNN - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trump tells Texas Republicans to redraw the state congressional map to help keep House majority - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Behind Republicans Risky Bid to Draw Themselves Five More Seats in Texas - Cook Political Report - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- A closer look at where Senate Republicans stand on Trumps rescission request - PBS - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans narrowly advance Trump's $9 billion spending cut package - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- House Republicans block Democratic maneuver to force release of Epstein files - Axios - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- For Some Republicans, Trumps Shift on Epstein Is Just the Latest Breach - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans race to slash $9bn for public broadcasting and foreign aid - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans break with Trump on Epstein - The Washington Post - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans move to block Democratic effort to force release of Epstein files - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans renew a bid to remove noncitizens from the census tally behind voting maps - NPR - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- These Republicans Want More Details Over Handling of Epstein Files - Newsweek - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Opinion | Mamdani for Mayor (if You Want to Help the Republicans) - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans Proceed with Bill to Increase Energy Costs and Make Americans More Vulnerable to Nuclear Threats - House.gov - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Texas Redistricting Maneuver May Harm Republicans More Than It Helps - The American Prospect - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans Oldest Trick In The Book - split-ticket.org - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans in Congress break with Trump on his handling of the Epstein files - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans declared it crypto week in the House. Its not going as planned - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans declared it crypto week in the House. Its not going as planned - WHEC.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Ohio House Republicans will try to override Gov. DeWine property tax vetoes - Ohio Capital Journal - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 211 House Republicans Vote to Block Release of Epstein Files - The New Republic - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- NC Republicans in Congress respond to Gov. Stein's letter on Trump budget - WRAL.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans divided over looming vote to rescind $9 billion in spending - The Spokesman-Review - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans confirm Whitney Hermandorfer, the first judge of Trumps second term - MSNBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trump is crushing it, but the Republicans can still blow it in 2026 and 2028 - The Hill - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Jan. 6 Rioters Are the New Hot Event in Town for Republicans - The Wall Street Journal - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Republicans and Democrats visited Alligator Alcatraz for the first time. Heres what they saw. - Politico - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Pollster: Republicans outnumber Democrats in number of active registered voters in Louisiana for first time - louisianaradionetwork.com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Cortez Masto Blasts Republicans for Refusing to Fix the Provision in Their Tax Bill that Limits the Wagering Loss Deduction - Senator Catherine Cortez... - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Karoline Leavitt Just Made A Trump Claim So Ridiculous That Even Republicans Are Calling It Out - Yahoo - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Republicans Blame Canada for Wildfire Smoke Suffocating the U.S. - The New York Times - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans block attempt to roll back massive tax hike on professional gamblers - AP News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans run a risky strategy for holding the House that rests on redrawn maps - Politico - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- As Texas Republicans prepare for mid-decade redistricting, cautionary tales loom from the past - The Texas Tribune - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Trump warns Republicans against rejecting cuts to PBS and NPR - The Hill - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans probably shouldve read their far-right megabill before passing it - MSNBC News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans Are Changing Their Tune on Immigration: Poll - Newsweek - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kelly: Republicans cut health care and food for AZ families so the wealthy could pay lower taxes - Arizona Mirror - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Think Democrats and Republicans can't work together? On sealing eviction records, they do. - Stateline - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- How Republicans Rejected A Texas Flood Warning System - The Lever - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans have a brazen new plan to block Democrats from retaking the House in 2026 - Mother Jones - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Ron Faucheux: Will the Big Beautiful Bill sink Republicans? - NOLA.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- The big, beautiful bill could get ugly for Republicans - The Hill - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans push for business sanction on sanctuary cities - NJ Spotlight News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Nicolle Wallace: Trump 'has turned Republicans in the Senate into ghosts' - MSN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jury finds former head of Island County Republicans guilty in Elections Office mask mandate case - Whidbey News-Times - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Charlie Kirk sounds the alarm on the biggest threat to Republicans holding the White House in 2028 - Fox News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jon Stewart Rips Republicans for Trying to Jedi Mind Trick Americans Into Thinking There Never Was an Epstein List | Video - Yahoo - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans toe Trump line even in aftermath of deadly Texas floods - The Guardian - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | How Republicans can defy history and survive the midterms - The Washington Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- What the Big, Beautiful Bill Reveals About Republicans - Slate Magazine - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Are Republicans bowing to Trump even more than they used to? - KCRW - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts - STAT - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans urge US universities to cut ties with 'nefarious' Chinese-backed scholarship program - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Full List of Republicans Who Voted To Slash Weather Forecasting Funding - Newsweek - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans are already getting hammered over the OBBB - Punchbowl News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Will Republicans in Virginia pay a price for the One Big Beautiful Bill? Here's what the math shows. - Cardinal News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- These Republicans fought for green energy tax credits. Trumps latest order could threaten them - Deseret News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- 'Nefarious mechanism': Republicans issue stern warning to US universities against Chinese scholarship pro - Times of India - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans Are Already Licking Their Lips at the Chance of Another Reconciliation Bill - NOTUS - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans say 'big, beautiful bill' will address states with high SNAP payment error, including Colorado - Denver7 - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | Everyone Hates This Bill. Dan Osborn Could Make Republicans Pay for It. - The New York Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 'Big, Beautiful Bill': Which House Republicans voted against the bill? - FOX 5 DC - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 2 Ohio Republicans taking on their own party to protect access to marijuana - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Republicans just cut Medicaid. Will it cost them control of Congress? - Politico - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- News Analysis: The healthcare cuts approved by Trump, Republicans go well beyond Medicaid - Los Angeles Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- People Are Saying We Might Not Even Make It To The Midterm Election After Elizabeth Warren Tried To Give Hope About Republicans Having To "Face... - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Fake Weather, Fake Flooding: Republicans Are Spreading A Bizarre Conspiracy Theory After The Deadly Texas Floods - HuffPost - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Trump & Congressional Republicans Big Ugly Bill Will Hurt American Families - New Democrat Coalition (.gov) - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- What the Republicans New Policy Bill Means for Higher Education - The New York Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Republicans used to be the fiscally conservative party, but look at us now - Idaho Capital Sun - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Trump Goes on a Charm Offensive as He Woos Holdout Republicans - The New York Times - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on Republicans Big Ugly Bill That Will Inflict Outsized Harm & Raise Costs on Floridians - U.S. Representative Kathy... - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Opinion | Republicans may be cooking up a mess in Texas - The Washington Post - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Republicans, Democrats start gaming out Trump's tax-cut bill hit to 2026 elections - Reuters - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Republicans Pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Ahead of the July 4 Deadline - Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- These Republicans Savaged Their Partys Bill, Then Voted for It - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How Republicans Re-engineered the Tax Code - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]