Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent letters to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey demanding answers on their collusion with the Biden administration to suppress free speech. Senator Hawley said the revelations raise questions as to whether the platforms are operating as arms of the federal government.
Senator Hawley writes, “This casual admission of collusion—between the state and corporations that have monopolized the flow of information and therefore dictate the terms of service for the public square—is shocking. The First Amendment is sacrosanct, and it is unconscionable that the federal government has evidently enlisted private actors to police speech in ways that they are unable.”
Senator Hawley requested the CEOs provide a full account of social media content flagged by the Biden administration, what content they have been asked to remove, and what content has been removed following the requests.
Read the full letter to Facebook here and the full letter to Twitter here.