Energy and Commerce Republicans Seek Public Comment Before Big Tech Hearing
WASHINGTON, DC— In advance of the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing with Big Tech CEOs on Thursday, March 25, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are putting out a call to action from the public.
Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) is asking people to email BigTech@mail.house.gov with feedback and comments on any or all of the following by March 18, 2021:
- What concerns do you believe must be raised with Big Tech and social media platforms?
- Do you trust Big Tech to consistently enforce their policies? Why or Why not?
- Do you trust Big Tech as fair and responsible stewards of their platforms? Why or Why not?
- Do you have any examples of issues you have experienced with Big Tech that the Energy and Commerce Committee should be aware of before the hearing? If so, please provide details of such examples.
Background: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 25, 2021.
In January 2021, Leader Rodgers released Energy and Commerce Republicans’ Big Tech Accountability Platform to bring needed reform to Big Tech. The Platform will be guided by the following principles: 1) increasing meaningful transparency; 2) enhancing oversight and accountability; 3) pushing for consistency and objectivity; and 4) exploring competition issues so innovation is unleashed, not quashed.
In addition to seeking public input, the Leader is also inviting all Republican members of Congress in the House to provide ideas, solutions, and priorities related to Big Tech Responsibility and Big Tech Power.
In her Big Tech Accountability memo, Rodgers wrote:
“My sincere hope was Big Tech would do better, especially to contribute to America’s standing as a world leader in technological innovation. I hoped that they would understand and take seriously the significant role they play in our society, and not just within their own bubble that prefers sameness over creativity and diversity of thought. Unfortunately, Big Tech has broken any sense of trust that they can be fair stewards for speech and the truth. It is time for Energy and Commerce Republicans to act. To be clear, we will not pursue government regulation of speech, but it’s a dereliction of our duty to our constituents to do nothing. As the committee of jurisdiction, we have the honor and duty to lead our conference on these issues.”
CLICK HERE for more on the Big Tech Accountability Platform.