“Big Tech is out to get conservatives. That’s not a suspicion. That's not a hunch. That's a fact,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said Wednesday at a House Judiciary Committee hearing examining the market power and dominance of social media giants.
The CEOs of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google all appeared as witnesses before the subcommittee. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was invited, but did not appear.
In his opening remarks, Rep. Jordan cited example after example of conservative content that had been banned from the social media platforms.
Big tech’s out to get conservatives. It’s time they face the consequences. pic.twitter.com/jfPRPL1rZ1
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 29, 2020
What’s most concerning, Jordan said, is that the majority of his examples of conservative censorship by powerful Big Tech platforms were perpetrated this year – an election year:
“All kinds of examples. Most of them from this year, and that’s what’s, I think, critical for us all to understand. Most of them from this year, an election year. And, that’s what concerns me and so many Americans.”
…
“We’re 97 days before an election. And the power – as the previous chairman and ranking member have said - the power these companies have to impact what happens during an election, what American citizens get to see prior to their voting, is pretty darn important. That’s why this committee hearing is important.”
“There have to be consequences” if Big Tech doesn’t stop “trying to impact elections,” Rep. Jordan concluded:
“Look, we all think the free market’s great, we think competition’s great, we love the fact that these are American companies.
“But, what’s not great is censoring people, censoring conservatives and trying to impact elections. And, if it doesn’t end, there has to be consequences, there have to be consequences.”