House Energy and Commerce Committee announced that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will testify before the committee regarding Twitter algorithms and content monitoring. The hearing will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 5, 2018.
CONFIRMED: Twitter CEO @jack Dorsey will testify September 5 before E&C on the company’s algorithms and content monitoring.
— Energy and Commerce (@HouseCommerce) August 24, 2018
A few days back, Jack Dorsey announced plans to rethink how Twitter works to combat fake news and data scandals. Last month, Twitter deleted 70 million fake accounts in an attempt to curb fake news and improve Twitter algorithms. It has been constantly suspending fake accounts which are inauthentic, spammy or created via malicious automated bots.
Earlier this month, Apple, Facebook, and Spotify took action against Alex Jones. Initially, Twitter allowed Jones to continue using its service. But later Twitter imposed a seven-day “timeout” on Jones after he encouraged his followers to get their “battle rifles” ready against critics in the “mainstream media”.
“Twitter is an incredibly powerful platform that can change the national conversation in the time it takes a tweet to go viral,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, in a statement. “When decisions about data and content are made using opaque processes, the American people are right to raise concerns.”
The committee will deal with Twitter algorithms and will ask tough questions revolving around how Twitter monitors and polices content. E&C expects Twitter to adhere to content judgment calls and be transparent regarding the complex processes behind the social media’s algorithms.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused social media companies of silencing “millions of people” in an act of censorship, but without offering evidence to support the claim.
Social Media Giants are silencing millions of people. Can’t do this even if it means we must continue to hear Fake News like CNN, whose ratings have suffered gravely. People have to figure out what is real, and what is not, without censorship!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, commented on the hearing saying, “We all agree that transparency is the only way to fully restore Americans’ trust in these important public platforms.”
Transparency is the only way to fully restore Americans’ trust in these important public platforms. Pleased @Jack is taking a leadership role amongst his peers in this conversation. #StopTheBias https://t.co/6GhB9zXuyv
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 24, 2018
Following Twitter, representatives from Google and Facebook are also scheduled to appear at next month’s hearing.
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