On Wednesday members of Congress denounced the censorship and retaliation by Twitter and Facebook of the New York Post’s bombshell report about connections between Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and his father’s vice-presidential tenure.
Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent letters condemning the censorship and calling for answers from the big tech companies.
In Cruz’s letter, he requested that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey answer why Twitter chose to censor that particular article, claiming it was “hypocritical” and an attempt to influence the presidential election. Cruz demanded that Dorsey submit Twitter’s answers to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
“Twitter well knows its incredible ability to influence public dialogue by promoting some stories while suppressing others and it has plainly decided that the American should not be seeing or discussing this particular story which could significantly influence voters’ views of candidate Biden,” Cruz said.
My letter to @jack regarding @Twitter’s censorship of the @nypost. pic.twitter.com/o3Ebkbqait
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 14, 2020
Hawley sent letters to both Facebook and Twitter condemning their overreach in this area and asking them to clarify their “pre-emptive removal of a news story.”
“The seemingly selective nature of this public intervention suggests partiality on the part of Facebook,” Hawley wrote in a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “And your efforts to suppress the distribution of content revealing potentially unethical activity by a candidate for president raises a number of additional questions, to which I expect responses immediately.”
“I find this behavior stunning but not surprising from a platform that has censored the President of the United States,” Hawley wrote to Dorsey.
He also scrutinized Twitter and Facebook for failing to provide evidence that the Post’s story contained false information.
Earlier today I sent a list of questions to @Facebook. I want the same questions answered by @Twitter pic.twitter.com/JOsOhmPKgR
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 14, 2020
Hawley also wrote to the Federal Election Commission alleging that the blatant and “coordinated” censorship by Facebook and Twitter “appears to constitute a clear violation of federal campaign law” and should be investigated and acted upon.
My letter to the FEC re @Twitter @Facebook potential violation of federal election law pic.twitter.com/EhOMlj8jzX
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 14, 2020
Other GOP members in Congress publicly denounced the actions of Twitter and Facebook and called for legislative reform of Section 230 as well as continued oversight for big tech companies wrongly exercising their power.
Condemnation is not enough.
It’s time to reform Section 230. I’ve helped introduce legislation to do just that. Let’s get it done. https://t.co/JSyQdTBcsf
— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) October 14, 2020
Every Republican lawmaker must DO SOMETHING about it. Change #Section230 https://t.co/ZimWG0RKy2
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 14, 2020
Big Tech claims they aren’t biased against Conservatives.
So why are they suppressing speech to help the Democrats?
Section 230!
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 14, 2020
This is absurd.
Here's yet another real-time example of the glaring need to reform Section 230 and hold Big Tech accountable for censoring conservative political speech.
Big Tech must act as a platform, not a censor. #WheresHunter https://t.co/wQJs9YWjdH
— Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) October 14, 2020
Section 230! Time’s up, @jack. https://t.co/yGG6n4nFSu
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) October 14, 2020
This is absurd! Once again tech companies are siding with liberals & choosing to censor free speech they don’t like.
If this were a story about @realDonaldTrump & his family they wouldn’t be interfering. If they want to act like publishers, then we will treat them as such. https://t.co/Hsgw2yIQRF
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 14, 2020
Facebook and Twitter should not control what you can read. @Twitter doesn’t want you to see this. pic.twitter.com/P1Ywx7DmBE
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 14, 2020
So, @Twitter allows the Ayatollah of Iran to make death threats against the U.S. and #Israel but censors a news article from @nypost.⁰⁰Seems backwards to me.⁰⁰Once again, Twitter is showing it can’t put aside its political bias, especially when policing free speech. pic.twitter.com/i0bmm51dVe
— Congressman Waltz Press (@RepWaltzPress) October 14, 2020
The Department of Justice should investigate Big Tech.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 14, 2020
Big Tech is trying to steal the election.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 14, 2020
Disgraceful. This site publishes Chinese Communist Party propaganda but censors damaging stories about Joe Biden's potential corruption. https://t.co/oey7y2HHZi
— Sen. Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) October 14, 2020
Let me get this straight:
When a bombshell story breaks about the Bidens
– the media doesn't cover it and makes excuses for them
– tech companies suppress it and block you from even sharing itUnbelievable.
Imagine the media meltdown if this was about @DonaldJTrumpJr.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) October 14, 2020
Four years ago BuzzFeed posted the Steele Dossier, filled with lies and misinformation, and twitter and Facebook happily spread their fake news. Now these platforms are blocking transmission of a New York Post story critical of a Democrat. The hypocrisy is not sustainable.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 14, 2020
While Republican members of Congress expressed outrage over this breach of trust by big tech, Democratic senators and representatives remained quiet about the issue.