The Republican head of the US House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), has warned Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to be held in contempt of Congress following the latter's refusal to turn over papers demanded by a subpoena issued in February about the content moderation policies of Meta's social networking platform.
During a crucial hearing on Thursday, the Judiciary Committee's members will vote on a contempt report highlighting Mark Zuckerberg's "willful refusal" to assist with the congressional investigation, according to AP News.
The legislation is anticipated to succeed in the committee under GOP leadership, placing the initiative in the hands of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. If adopted, the entire House may vote on the contempt resolution after the August vacation, perhaps as early as this autumn.
Meta Expresses Willingness to Cooperate
The repercussions for Mark Zuckerberg might be severe since the US Justice Department would have to determine whether to charge him if the House found him in contempt. This measure highlights the seriousness of the matter and the committee's commitment to learning the truth about content moderation procedures.
In response to the threat, Meta's representative, Andy Stone, said that the business has dutifully given the committee over 50,000 pages of both internal and external papers since February. Additionally, Meta has made current and former workers accessible for interviews with legislators, claiming that they complied with the committee's general information demands "in good faith."
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Beyond Meta, the Judiciary Committee has been looking into content filtering practices; earlier this year, Rep. Jim Jordan issued subpoenas to Apple, Facebook, and Google, according to NBC News. The legislator cited internal Twitter messages that showed government pressure to suppress particular views, and he considers Facebook to have internal discussions along the same lines.
Jordan Targeting Threads
Jordan's committee is particularly interested in learning about Threads, Meta's new social media platform. The committee has demanded greater openness from Meta after allegations that the federal government may have influenced or worked with technology and social media firms to control internet material, per LA Times.
The committee's commitment to hold digital firms responsible for their content moderation practices is shown by this most recent threat of contempt, which emphasizes the seriousness of the probe. Additionally, it follows prior cases in which the House cited former government employees for contempt for disobeying subpoenas.
The House found former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt in 2021, while Democrats had the majority, for avoiding questioning regarding the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. For failing to comply with a subpoena from the House January 6 committee, former White House strategist Steve Bannon was similarly found guilty of two contempt of Congress charges last year.
The tech sector is preparing for possible consequences that might change content moderation procedures and the dynamic between significant internet firms and government regulation as the House Judiciary Committee's probe gathers steam.
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