In recent years, as social media and artificial intelligence have taken on increasingly significant roles in online social interaction, governments have intensified their scrutiny of tech companies in efforts to regulate these platforms. The recent death of extreme right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk has reignited fierce debates, bringing the conversation back into focus.
In response, the US Congress has summoned the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit for testimony. Notably absent from this list are leaders from Twitter (now X) and Facebook (Meta), which raises some questions. The announcement of these hearings was made by Kentucky Representative James Comer, Chairman of the GOP Oversight Committee.
Comer framed the summons as a call to action for tech companies, emphasizing the need to address issues related to political violence. It is understandable that platforms like Discord, Steam, and Reddit would be called upon given their involvement in discussions surrounding the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, and his alleged motivations.
However, it is curious that Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Elon Musk of X/Twitter were not invited to testify. Both platforms—particularly Twitter—have been criticized for initially obscuring the identity of the shooter, instead fueling incendiary rhetoric and placing blame, even as the FBI worked to identify the actual culprit in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
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. The decision has sparked speculation about the committee’s priorities and the future direction of tech regulation in the United States.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/145999/us-congress-social-platform-political-violence-x-facebook
