Sioux Falls, S.D. — 

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, today joined Fox News’s “Your World With Neil Cavuto” to discuss Twitter’s and Facebook’s censorship of online material. Thune noted that the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook, and Google will be testifying in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation later this month.

On social media censorship (here):

“Well, I think they act as a filter, and they create a bubble for users. And they created algorithms for users to see what they think those users want to see. And this is a big problem. I mean you have got – you’ve got, now, three companies essentially editing everything and limiting what the American people have access to in terms of users on these platforms. So, they’ve got to be accountable.”

On the Commerce Committee’s hearing with big tech CEOs (here):

“You now have essentially three companies that have virtually monopoly power in their space of the market, and I think there has to be some accountability. Now, the Democrats up until now, as you pointed out, have been interested in that as well. Currently it’s Republicans, conservative content, that seems to be getting censored. But I would hope that there would be bipartisan interest in bringing these companies to account. Not only because of the monopoly power, but also because of the shield against liability that they have with respect to the way that they moderate content. Those issues need to be looked at, and it’s time for Congress to have that conversation.”

Thune has introduced two bipartisan bills, the PACT Act and the Filter Bubble Transparency Act, that would require online platforms to be more transparent and accountable.