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Twitter and Facebook are facing intense scrutiny from Republicans after censoring the New York Post story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Now, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) are demanding that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hand over information about the decision to censor the story.
In a letter to Zuckerberg, the Senators wrote:
“The decision by your company to censor this news story is an egregious violation of the public’s trust. Americans have a right to know why you made this decision, and we believe that you have a responsibility to provide a full and transparent accounting.”
The Senators went on to say that “it is increasingly apparent that your platform is being used to deliberately silence viewpoints that your employees disagree with.”
They concluded by saying that “the time has come for Facebook to be transparent about its editorial decisions, and we hope that you will work with us to provide the information we are requesting.”
This is a major development in the ongoing story of Facebook and Twitter’s censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story. It remains to be seen how Zuckerberg will respond, but it is clear that the pressure is mounting on these tech giants to be transparent about their decision-making process.
The Senators, both senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, noted that Zuckerberg had recently admitted on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that Facebook follows the FBI’s lead on what stories to censor.
“Your admission that Facebook follows the lead of the FBI raises serious questions about whether your company is too cozy with the government,” the Senators wrote.
The Senators went on to say that they had “grave concerns” about Facebook’s decision to censor the story and that they believed the decision was “politically motivated.”
“We believe that Facebook’s censorship of the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop is politically motivated, and we demand to know what role the FBI played in this decision,” the Senators wrote.
The letter concluded by giving Zuckerberg two weeks to respond to a list of questions, including whether the FBI had contact with Facebook about the story, and if so, what was discussed.
The Senators’ letter is the latest development in a growing controversy over Facebook’s decision to censor the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop. Last week, it was revealed that Facebook had suppressed the story by limiting its reach on the social network.
This move was widely criticized, with many accusing Facebook of censorship. In response, Facebook said that it did not censor the story, but that it had limited its reach because it was unverified.
However, new revelations have cast doubt on Facebook’s claim that the story was unverified. On Sunday, The New York Post published a report based on emails obtained from Hunter Biden’s laptop that appear to show he arranged a meeting between a Burisma executive and his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden.
If these emails are genuine, they would appear to verify the story that Facebook suppressed. This has led to calls for Zuckerberg to testify before Congress about the decision to censor the story.
