US to probe tech firms on competition, 'stifling' free speech

The US Justice Department said Wednesday it would probe social media giants over concerns over competition and "stifling the free exchange of ideas." The announcement comes days after President Donald Trump accused big technology firms of censoring and suppressing conservative voices, allegations strongly denied by the companies. A Justice Department statement said Attorney General Jeff Sessions "has convened a meeting with a number of state attorneys general this month to discuss a growing concern that these companies may be hurting competition and intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas on their platforms." The brief statement, which came at the conclusion of a Senate hearing including top executives of Facebook and Twitter, offered no clues on whether officials were considering an antitrust investigation or some form of regulatory action. Tech industry analysts say there is little evidence internet firms are filtering content for political reasons, but that the companies would have constitutional protections against any government effort to regulate their algorithms. On Tuesday, Federal Communications chairman Ajit Pai said Silicon Valley firms to provide more transparency about how they operate, raising the possibility of tougher regulations for technology firms. "We need to seriously think about whether the time has come for these companies to abide by new transparency obligations," Pai said in a blog post. Pai offered no specific proposals, but appeared to echo concerns raised by Trump, who claimed tech firms may be biased against conservatives. "Consumers interact with these digital platforms on a daily basis. We get our news from them. We interact with our family and friends on them," Pai wrote. Trump last week issued a warning to Google, Facebook and Twitter to "be careful" but stopped short of calling for regulation. Twitter chief Jack Dorsey rejected any suggestion of political bias in comments prepared for a House of Representatives hearing Wednesday. "Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules," Dorsey said in his written testimony. "We believe strongly in being impartial, and we strive to enforce our rules impartially." Google and Facebook have made similar points. Daniel Castro of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said the intent of the statement was not clear but that the statement was worrisome. "Social media platforms have the right to determine what types of legal speech they will permit on their platforms," Castro told AFP. "The federal government should not use the threat of law enforcement to limit companies from exercising this right. In particular, law enforcement should not threaten social media companies with unfounded investigations for booting white nationalists like Richard Spencer off their platforms." Twitter not based on 'political ideology,' CEO tells lawmakers
Washington (AFP) Sept 5, 2018 - Twitter does not operate on the basis of "political ideology," chief executive Jack Dorsey said Wednesday, rejecting claims of bias against conservatives.

"Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules," Dorsey said in prepared remarks to a congressional hearing with US technology giants.

"We believe strongly in being impartial, and we strive to enforce our rules impartially."

Dorsey's comments come days after President Donald Trump accused technology firms of "censorship" and suppressing conservative voices.

The statement from Dorsey released by a House panel covered questions about foreign influence operations on social media as well as accusations of political bias.

He said Twitter is committed to rooting out abusive activity and "hostile foreign influence."

"The purpose of Twitter is to serve the public conversation, and we do not make value judgments on personal beliefs," Dorsey said in his remarks.

Senator Mark Warner told the hearing that social media firms "were caught flat-footed by the brazen attacks on our election" and questioned whether Silicon Valley is capable of confronting the problem of foreign influence.

"I'm skeptical that, ultimately, you'll be able to truly address this challenge on your own," he told the hearing with Dorsey and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. "Congress is going to have to take action here."

Google rejected requests to send its CEO Sundar Pichai or parent firm Alphabet chief Larry Page, but offered a writted statement from its chief legal officer Kent Walker.

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After Trump bashing, tech firms gird for congressional grilling
Washington (AFP) Sept 4, 2018
After days of vitriol from President Donald Trump, big Silicon Valley firms face lawmakers in the coming week with a chance to burnish their image - or face a fresh bashing. Top executives from Twitter and Facebook were to appear in two hearings on Wednesday, with Google's participation a question mark. The hearings come with online firms facing intense scrutiny for allowing the propagation of misinformation and hate speech, and amid allegations of political bias from the president and his alli ... read more