Facebook, Twitter CEOs sought by US Senate over alleged censorship of political news

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey have been invited to testify in Washington before the November 3 presidential election

Senate Republicans claim the firms potentially violated election campaign laws by suppressing a NY Post article accusing Joe Biden of links to a Ukrainian executive

Reading Time:3 minutes

Twitter and Facebook curbed the spread of the NY Post article on Hunter Biden on October 14, 2020. Photo: dpa

Published: 2:13pm, 16 Oct 2020Updated: 11:02pm, 16 Oct 2020

Senate Republicans in the US are demanding to hear in person from the bosses of Facebook and Twitter to discuss alleged censorship of political news, a sign of escalating tension over social media treatment of a New York Post article concerning Hunter Biden.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham and Republican Party Senator Ted Cruz told reporters on Thursday morning that they will vote next Tuesday to subpoena Twitter’s Jack Dorsey to appear before the committee.

Earlier on Thursday, Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, sent letters to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Dorsey inviting them to testify in Washington before the November 3 presidential election. Hawley later told reporters he would consider subpoenaing them if necessary.

Hawley claims the companies potentially violated campaign laws by suppressing a New York Post article accusing Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden of links to a Ukrainian executive.

“As your company is no doubt aware, corporations are forbidden from contributing anything of value – financial or otherwise – to support the election of candidates for public office,” Hawley wrote.