U.S. Senators grill Facebook, Google, and Twitter on extremist content

Google, Facebook, and Twitter were all once again on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, this time for a hearing on violent online extremism.

The hearing, titled Mass Violence, Extremism, and Digital Responsibility, was held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Senators questioned representatives from the three major tech companies to find out what they’re doing to combat and remove violent extremist content from their platforms. 

On the same day as the Senate hearing, the Washington Post obtained a copy of a draft bill in the House that would create a “national commission” to oversee harmful internet content. The bill, if passed, would create a commission to study “the ways social media could be weaponized.” The commission, which would be part of the Department of Homeland Security, would also have the ability to hold hearings and subpoena tech companies. Read more...