Recent Press Releases

Thune Statement on Commerce Committee’s Decision to Authorize Subpoenas to Tech CEOs

“I think that the social media platforms’ content moderation processes remain largely a black box, to both the user and to Congress…. that’s why I support the efforts today to hear firsthand from Google, Facebook, and Twitter.”

October 1, 2020

Washington — 

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, today issued the following statement after the committee authorized subpoenas to hear testimony on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from the Chief Executive Officers of Google, Facebook, and Twitter. 

“I’m very interested, and I think that the social media platforms’ content moderation processes remain largely a black box, to both the user and to Congress,” said Thune. “The lack of transparency has led to this concern that we have about bias and discrimination online, and I think it is a bipartisan concern. And that’s why I support the efforts today to hear firsthand from Google, Facebook, and Twitter.”

Earlier this year, Thune introduced the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act, bipartisan legislation with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to address some of the issues surrounding Section 230 with respect to platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. In July, Thune led a subcommittee hearing to examine online platforms’ content moderation practices and to discuss what legislative measures can be taken to ensure consumers are protected and empowered while on the internet.