Originally published August 17, 2023 4:00 pm PDT
In a significant move surrounding concerns over Big Tech’s content moderation policies, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has “issued subpoenas to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland of the Department of Justice (DOJ)” as the Committee delves deeper into its ongoing censorship investigation.
The objective is to uncover any potential collusion between federal agencies and social media giants in suppressing “disfavored speech online.”
The Committee’s primary focus is on “communications between the FBI and DOJ, private companies, and other third-party groups related to content moderation.”
The scope of this investigation suggests a growing concern in Congress about potential overreach by tech companies and government agencies in shaping online narratives.
The context for this latest move comes from earlier this year.
On April 18, 2023, the Committee “wrote to the FBI and DOJ requesting voluntary cooperation with oversight.”
The agencies produced “only a single document: a publicly available transcript of a civil deposition of FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Elvis Chan from Missouri v. Biden.”
This limited release has increased the Committee’s determination to seek more comprehensive answers.
Furthermore, the Committee claims that its investigation has led to the discovery of “evidence that contradicts several statements in Agent Chan’s deposition, particularly as they relate to his communications with social media platforms.”
Such discrepancies necessitate further scrutiny.
This investigation about both holding government agencies and tech companies accountable as well as shaping the future of online speech and governmental influence.
As stated in a press release, “For the Committee to inform potential legislation, such as the possible enactment of new statutory limits on the Executive Branch’s ability to work with social media platforms and other companies to restrict the circulation of content and deplatform users, the Committee must first understand the nature of this collusion and coercion between the federal government and Big Tech companies.”
