Washington News Bureau

Stopping, flagging disinformation on social media center of Capitol Hill discussion

WASHINGTON — Stopping and flagging disinformation on social media was at the center of a discussion on Capitol Hill Thursday. The heads of Facebook, Twitter and Google faced tough questions from Congress about their policies.

Some lawmakers said social media companies are not doing enough while others argued they go too far.

“Each of you has failed to protect your users and the world from the worst consequences of your creations,” said Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pennsylvania).

“You censor political viewpoints you disagree with,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-Washington).

Lawmakers questioned the companies about how they work to stop the spread of dangerous information about issues like the coronavirus pandemic, the effectiveness of the vaccines and the integrity of the 2020 elections.

This was the first time the tech giant CEOs testified before Congress since the Capitol riot.