US Senator lashes out at Twitter for 'rampant censorship', grills Google and Facebook

As campaign for US election 2020 is rounding up, CEOs of Facebook, Twitter and Google, Marck Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai respectively were grilled in a US Senate hearing. While hearing was to reform an internet law and hold tech companies accountable for regulation of content on ir platforms, it quickly turned into a political scuffle with lawmaker attacking companies and questioning “who elected you?”

Republican Senator Ted Cruz accused tech giants of ir selective censorship against conservatives and focussed on insufficient action against misinformation surrounding vember election. As per reports, re were a limited number of responses by heads of Facebook, Apple Inc’s Google, Twitter with m reiterating that it was crucial to monitor free speech on platforms. 

lawmakers are divided on ways to hold giants accountable under Section 230 of Communications Decency Act. This law safeguards companies from liability over content posted by its users on platform but also allows m to shape political division in country. However, all three tech firms in Senate hearing insisted that Section 230 provides m with tools to maintain a balance between securing free speech of people while also monitoring content. 

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Even though all three companies agreed that some reform in law is required to moderate content and shall be held liable if platforms act as a publisher, y denied being referees over political speech. However, as per reports, se claims made some Republican furious. Senator Cruz went after Twitter’s Jack Dorsey when latter said that micro-blogging site has influence over elections. 

“Who hell elected you and put you in charge of what media are allowed to report and what American people are allowed to hear,” Cruz said while referring to Twitter’s decision to take down stories from New York Post about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son. According to him, it is 'rampant censorship'

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Democrats call it ‘bullying’ for electoral purposes

Democratic  Senator Brian Schatz did t agree with Cruz’s remarks and termed it has “nsense” and “bullying” for electoral purposes. Or Democrats such as Tammy Baldwin, Ed Markey and Amy Klobuchar also said that entire hearing was to help Republican US President Donald Trump’s reelection on vember 3. Republican leader, who has repeatedly lashed out on Twitter for limiting conservatives, took to Twitter during hearing and said “Repeal Section 230!” Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chair of committee, stated that " time has come for that free pass to end."

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