Great technology is back on the virtual hill.
Three of the technology’s most prominent CEOs will appear on the Chamber’s Energy and Commerce committee today at 9 am PT, while lawmakers question companies for not containing misinformation and extremism.
In the opening statements made available before the hearing, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Sundar Pichai of Google explained the conversation they prefer to have.
Zuckerberg pushed for reforms to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that would not solve the issues at hand, but would likely give Facebook another advantage over smaller competitors. Google defended Section 230 and pointed to its own efforts, often moderate or delayed, to contain electoral disinformation that ultimately turned into a snowball in the attack on the US Capitol. Twitter looked more forward than backward, pointing to initiatives to make its own algorithms transparent and to invite more moderation efforts at the community level.
The issue in question on Thursday is an important one, and there are many directions that lawmakers can take at the hearing. In the past few months, the two subcommittees leading the joint audience have questioned Facebook about the recommendations of their algorithmic group – a frequent concern among extremism experts – and reports that the company ran ads for combat equipment alongside posts promoting the riot on the Capitol. More broadly, the committee will delve deeper into the role of social media in spreading dangerous misinformation, but it is possible that we will deviate through some regulatory solutions, such as antitrust legislation and the reform of Section 230 along the way.
If you would like to follow, we have incorporated the audience above or you can check back for further coverage as we go along.