House Democrats are pushing cable and streaming services over their decisions to host channels that lawmakers accuse of spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories that lead to “real-world damage”.
Reps. Anna Eshoo
Anna Georges EshooHillicon Valley: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | YouTube study | Amazon action | Trump comments that YouTube still promotes videos of white supremacy: Hillicon Valley study: Voting comes out in Amazon’s union battle in Alabama | Hackers violate and attempt to poison Florida city water supply Facebook to remove posts with false vaccine allegations MORE (California) and Jerry McNerney
Gerlad (Jerry) Mark McNerneyHillicon Valley: Judge’s decision creates new obstacle for TikTok | House approves bills to protect energy sector from cyber attacks | Biden’s campaign asks Facebook to remove Trump’s posts that spread ‘falsehoods’. Casa approves projects to protect the energy sector against cyber attacks. (California), senior members of the Energy and Commerce Chamber’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee sent letters to companies on Monday questioning their “ethical principles” involved in deciding which channels to broadcast and when to act against a channel.
“Some alleged news outlets have long been the source of misinformation rumors and focuses of conspiracy theories that produce content that leads to real harm,” they wrote.
“Disinformation on TV has led to our current polluted information environment that radicalizes individuals to commit seditious acts and rejects best public health practices, among other issues in our public discourse.”
The letter specifically calls Newsmax, One America Network (OANN) and Fox News.
A Fox News spokesman said the letter “sets a terrible precedent”.
“As the most watched cable news channel in 2020, FOX News Media provided millions of Americans with detailed reporting, breaking news coverage and clear opinion. The fact that members of Congress highlight the political discourse they dislike and demand that cable TV distributors engage in discrimination from a point of view creates a terrible precedent, “the spokesman said in a statement.
Lawmakers also asked for information about the number of users who tuned in to stations in the weeks leading up to the election and the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill.
Eshoo and McNerney sent letters to traditional cable providers, including Verizon and Comcast, as well as technology companies that provide channels as part of streaming services, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Roku and Hulu.
Amazon said the company is reviewing the letter.
Spokesmen for the other networks and providers did not immediately respond to comment.
The letter is setting the stage for what is likely to be a contentious committee hearing on Wednesday about “misinformation and extremism in the media”.
Democrats and Republicans have divided on the issue in the past, particularly in October over the technology platforms’ decision to limit the spread of a New York Post story that included allegations about Hunter Biden, the now-son of-President biden
Joe BidenBiden will maintain a moment of silence for 500,000 COVID-19 deaths Publix offers employees who receive the COVID-19 vaccine a gift card from 5 stores Schumer says he is working to find votes to confirm Biden’s OMB choice MORE.
The story quickly drew skepticism about its sources and discoveries, but when tech giants suppressed its online spread, Republicans widely criticized companies for censoring content and an anti-conservative bias.
Republicans are expected to bring up the controversy over the Post’s history again on Wednesday.
A Republican spokesman for the committee was not immediately available for comment when asked about the letters from Eshoo and McNerney.
Democrats, however, can focus on increasing electoral disinformation and the role it may have played in leading the deadly Capitol insurrection on January 6. , as well as how the riot at the Capitol was covered.
The letter also discusses reports of disinformation about COVID-19 allegedly shared by Newsmax, OANN and Fox News.
– Updated at 12:36 pm