In recent years, with social media and AI playing increasingly significant roles in online social interaction, governments have heightened their scrutiny of tech companies in efforts to regulate these platforms. The recent death of extreme right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk has reignited fervent debates, bringing the conversation back into focus.
In response, the US Congress has summoned the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify. Notably, Twitter (now known as X) and Facebook were excluded from this round of hearings. This summoning was announced by Kentucky Representative James Comer, Chairman of the GOP Oversight Committee, who framed it as a call to action for tech companies to address concerns around political violence.
It is understandable that platforms like Discord, Steam, and Reddit have been called upon, given their ecosystems have been mentioned in discussions about the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, and his alleged motivations. However, it is peculiar that Mark Zuckerberg of Meta (Facebook) and Elon Musk of X (Twitter) were not invited to testify.
Both Facebook and Twitter, especially Twitter, faced criticism for their handling of information in the immediate aftermath of the incident. The platforms reportedly obscured the actual identity of the murderer, fueling incendiary rhetoric and misplaced blame as the FBI worked to identify the shooter in the early hours following the tragedy.
At this time, it remains unclear why Comer and the GOP Oversight Committee chose to exclude these major social media companies from the conversation and scrutiny surrounding the issue.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/145999/us-congress-social-platform-political-violence-x-facebook
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