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On Wednesday in the US Senate, leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter were heard on the subject of social network regulation. The Trade Commission meeting was updated when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had trouble connecting via video remotely. Another moment that stood out was Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s attack on Twitter chief Jack Dorsey: “Who the hell picked you and put you in a position to decide what to report to the media.”
“We can’t connect with Mr. Mark Zuckerberg,” said Senator Roger Wicker, who chairs the committee. He agreed to a 5-minute postponement of the meeting after executive directors of Twitter and Alphabet, the company that owns Google, spoke, according to Reuters.
Facebook told Commissioners Zuckerberg that he was alone. He was finally able to connect within minutes.
“I could hear the statements from the start. I was just having connection issues,” Zuckerberg said.
Wicker replied: “I know the feeling, Mr. Zuckerberg.”
“Who the hell put you in a position to decide what the media can report?”
The Senate hearing, which aims to reform an Internet law and hold accountable the way companies moderate content, quickly turned into a political conflict, Reuters reports. Lawmakers criticized the companies but also attacked each other.
Senators are divided on how to hold tech giants accountable under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects companies from liability for user-posted content and allows companies to influence political discourse.
The editors of Twitter, Facebook and Google have classified the law as crucial for free expression on the Internet.
After an hour of hearings, the conversation turned into a heated exchange of observations between senators on both sides.
Senator Ted Cruz attacked Twitter chief Jack Dorsey after the executive director said the social network did not influence the election.
“Who the hell chose you and put you in a position to decide what the media can report and what the American population can hear,” Cruz said. Prior to the meeting, the senator posted a photo on Twitter titled “Cruz vs Dorsey Free Speech Confrontation” that showed him face to face with Dorsey.
Democratic Senator Brian Schatz said he had no questions, adding that the hearing was “nonsense”.
“This is bullying and its purpose is electoral,” he said.
Maria Cantwell, a senior Democratic senator on the committee, said the hearing was due to take place in January following the November 3 presidential election. The law has little chance of being enforced by Congress this year.
President Donald Trump, who accuses companies of suppressing conservative voices, along with Republican lawmakers sent out several tweets during the hearing. “Repeal section 230!” Trump said. Separately, Senator Josh Hawley attacked the Twitter boss: “This level of imbecility confirms the widespread impression that Jack’s main food source is weed.”
Jack Dorsey warned the commission that the erosion of the foundation on which Section 230 is based could significantly damage the way people communicate online. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said that Google operates without being politically biased and that, in any other case, it would be against the company’s commercial interests.
Zuckerberg supported the change in legislation, but also warned that digital platforms could be further censored to avoid legal risk if Section 230 is repealed.
All three leaders agreed that companies should be held accountable if platforms act like a publication.
Republican Roger Wicker, the commission’s leader, said it’s important that companies be held accountable without giving them the ability to censor content they disagree with.
“The time has come for this step to end,” he said.
Wicker also criticized the companies’ decision to block New York Post articles accusing the son of Democratic candidate Joe Biden. He and other senators blamed Twitter for not posting messages from world leaders who allegedly misinformed and instead aggressively targeted Donald Trump’s messages.
Biden also expressed support for the repeal of the law.
American lawmakers aren’t the only ones wanting to reform. The European Commission is developing a new directive on digital services which, in addition to addressing abuses of dominant market platforms, should also address the problem of making them responsible for harmful or illegal content. Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager will have to reveal her proposals on 2 December.
Publisher: Alexandru Costea
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