[BREAKING] Facebook, Google, Twitter CEOs Get Subpoenaed by US Senate Over Section 230

A Senate panel has officially voted on Thursday, Oct. 1, to send subpoenas to the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter. This was to force them to be in court to testify before the panel's concerns over the internet giants' business model. It was also said to be in relation with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Zuckerberg, Pichai, and Dorsey are being summoned

The Senate Commerce Committee voted unanimously to force appearances by Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey to the court.

This was after the U.S. court failed to reach agreements with the companies to send the CEOs voluntarily. The committee is expected to ask questions about the companies' media consolidations or their sides over the possible changes to a law known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

This law is called the "foundation pillar of the Internet," that protects companies from lawsuits over their user content.

CNN reported that lawmakers have been trying to amend the provision, especially before elections come. However, there is still no accuracy on the things they wanted to change on the law.

Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the committee, initially opposed the subpoena introduced by Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

She stressed out that one thing she "doesn't want to see is a chilling effect on individuals who are in the process of trying to crack down on hate speech or misinformation about COVID during a pandemic."

Biased for Republicans?

Bloomberg reported that many thought this subpoena was a Republican-led effort to focus on how conservatives say. Section 230 enables companies to silence right-wing viewpoints.

However, lawmakers have clarified that Democrats and Republicans are both tech giants' victims due to the companies' dominance on speech or data.

As of now, Facebook, Google, nor Twitter have not yet answered the subpoena.

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This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Jamie Pancho