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Another "Big Tech" hearing today (noon ET) with G, TW & FB CEOs
Dems will complain that tech companies don't moderate enough content and Republicans will say they're being "censored"
Both sides will attack 230, but the real issue is the First Amendment
energycommerce.house.gov/committee-acti…
Dems will complain that tech companies don't moderate enough content and Republicans will say they're being "censored"
Both sides will attack 230, but the real issue is the First Amendment
energycommerce.house.gov/committee-acti…
Websites have the same First Amendment rights as parade organizers, newspapers or other media to exclude speech they find objectionable, however "unfair" their decisions may be
It's just not the government's job to second-guess those content moderation decisions
It's just not the government's job to second-guess those content moderation decisions
Republicans used to understand this. They spent 80 years attacking Fairness Doctrine mandates for broadcasting, yet are now demanding a Fairness Doctrine of their own
Here's Rep @CathyMcMorris Rodgers firmly rejecting such nonsense in late 2019
Here's Rep @CathyMcMorris Rodgers firmly rejecting such nonsense in late 2019
THREAD: Thanks again to @RepMattGaetz for calling on @JeffBezos and @amazon to get a "divorce" from the SPLC. @mattgaetz brought up this important issue twice in today's #BigTechHearing c-span.org/video/?c489632… /1
He again pressed Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg on whether or not they consider Ben Carson an extremist. c-span.org/video/?c489633… /2
@mattgaetz hit the nail on the head: Why would @JeffBezos trust an organization that takes "mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate"? That's what the SPLC routinely does, and it's dangerous. /3
pjmedia.com/news-and-polit…
pjmedia.com/news-and-polit…
Interesting how @RepArmstrongND links conservative bias to Google's monopoly and adtech reach, and GDPR. #BigTechHearing #BigTechBarons
Useful argument from @RepArmstrongND on how GDPR has helped Google's market share in Europe. #BigTechBarons #BigTechHearing
Sundar Pichai talking about how ad prices have fallen over the last ten years. Not a surprise that such the progressive policy institute 'report' data actually came from Google. #BigTechBarons
Today, Congress is having a hearing with the CEOs of Apple, Alphabet (parent of Google), Amazon, and Facebook. During the testimony, a few things were said that need to be corrected. #BigTechHearing judiciary.house.gov/calendar/event…
First, a reminder: here is a list of promises these companies made when they bought competitors and the ways they broke them.
eff.org/deeplinks/2020…
eff.org/deeplinks/2020…
Sundar Pichai of Google spoke of Google’s commitment to privacy and competition. But Google has abused the web standards bodies to retroactively rubber-stamp the technology that it's already deployed. eff.org/deeplinks/2020…
Ok, so. It is totally within the realm of antitrust to talk about anticompetitive acquisitions, using reams of data collected with little transparency to crush further competition, and to explore how and whether this harms consumers, in addition to potential competition. 1/
Issues of speech and disinformation *are* related to the size and scope and power of these platforms, but are not specifically related to existing antitrust law. That these things are conflated is largely the result of a *specific effort* by some GOP members. 2/ #BigTechHearing
HOWEVER (leaving aside the completely unproven conservative bias thing). The fact that disinformation is not specifically an antitrust issue, but IS an issue of consumer harm shows why existing antitrust law is not exactly equipped to deal with these companies. 3/
"Why does Google steal content from honest businesses?" @davidcicilline #BigTechBarons
Wow @davidcicilline throwing fire. Asks about conflict of interest in Google preferencing its own properties. #BigTechBarons
"That's a lot of money Mr. Pichai." #BigTechBarons
@davidcicilline on 🔥
Asks about internal quotes of Google people talking about killing the traffic of other sites.
Pichai deflects with talking points about competition with Amazon.
@davidcicilline on 🔥
Asks about internal quotes of Google people talking about killing the traffic of other sites.
Pichai deflects with talking points about competition with Amazon.
With the #BigTechHearing getting underway, a couple thoughts about what it means to #breakupbigtech and some prebuttals on a couple counter-arguments. 1/7
1st, proponents of breaking up big tech are focused on unwinding mergers and separating tech platforms from commercial activity that works across the platform. My take on how to do it. 2/7
greatdemocracyinitiative.org/document/regul…
greatdemocracyinitiative.org/document/regul…
There is a long tradition of separation along these lines in American regulatory practice, as @linamkhan has shown. 3/7
columbialawreview.org/content/the-se…
columbialawreview.org/content/the-se…
"As gatekeepers of the digital economy, these platforms enjoy the power to pick winners and losers and shakedown small business, and enrich themselves while choking off competitors." — RI Rep. David Cicilline #BigTechHearing 
“In some basic ways the problem is not unlike what we faced 130 years ago.” — NY’s Jerrold Nadler on the size of today’s tech companies #BigTechHearing
“Big Tech’s out to get conservatives.” — Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan #BigTechHearing
The #bigtechbarons hearing is starting.
Key point. This hearing is not just a one-off, it is *part* of an investigation. @davidcicilline says they have millions of documents from both the companies as well over a hundred competitors. #bigtechbarons
@davidcicilline notes commonalities of #bigtechbarons:
(1) They each are bottlenecks
(2) They each engage in surveillance
(1) They each are bottlenecks
(2) They each engage in surveillance
The tech hearing is delayed 30 minutes.
The committee just sent out a note that the hearing start is now delayed to 1pm. There is also a rumor that Jordan now plans to appear & kick off the hearing with lots of procedural motions to create delay. The show may not really get going until 2 or so. 🤷🏼♂️
If I were Chair of a subcommittee doing a hearing with the #BigTechBarons, I'd require them to use this as a green screen
You ever wake up in the morning, get settled into your WFH spot and just know that you aren't going to move from there until it's dark out?
Anywho happy #BigTechHearing day.
Anywho happy #BigTechHearing day.
Here's what you need to know before today's #BigTechHearing kicks off:
washingtonpost.com/technology/202…
washingtonpost.com/technology/202…
Follow live updates from today's #BigTechHearing
washingtonpost.com/technology/202…
#Amazon #Facebook #Google #Apple
washingtonpost.com/technology/202…
#Amazon #Facebook #Google #Apple
