WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, ahead of tomorrow’s Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on Big Tech censorship with the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook, and Alphabet Inc., Google, Senator Rick Scott released a list of questions he would like the CEOs to address during the hearing. He will focus on protecting the right to free speech – and ensuring that all users are treated fairly when using these platforms.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The American people believe that when they sign up for these social media platforms, they won’t be blocked or kicked off because of their political views. These big tech CEOs are going to have to answer, on the record and under oath, why they are targeting conservatives and putting their thumb on the scale during this election. And they will have to answer why they continue to censor conservatives while giving dangerous dictators like Maduro and General Secretary Xi a platform to spew their lies and propaganda. They can’t just pick and choose which viewpoints are allowed on their platform and expect to keep the immunity granted by Section 230. It’s our responsibility to hold their companies accountable and protect Americans’ ability to speak freely.”

Senator Rick Scott would like the following questions addressed during the hearing:

• Since Twitter and Facebook are blocked in Communist China, the Communist regime serves as the gatekeeper of information for their people, often blocking them from the truth of their oppressive regime. Considering your recent actions to block the New York Post article about Hunter Biden, you are essentially acting like gatekeepers of information as well.
  • How are your actions any different than the Communist regime in China?

• Mr. Dorsey, while Communist China and Iran block their own citizens from accessing Twitter, Twitter gives Chinese diplomats around the world a platform to disseminate Chinese propaganda, including lies about China’s treatment of the Muslim Uyghur community. Twitter also provides a safe space for Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei to openly call for genocide, or for violent dictators like Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela to brag about his regime while his people starve in the streets.
  • Why do you block, censor, and flag the Tweets of conservatives in America, like President Trump or Leader McConnell, for “potential misinformation,” while allowing dictators to spew their propaganda?
  • Why would dictators get preferential treatment – by that I mean there are no associated warnings or disclaimers for their hate speech – but American politicians are censored?
  • Why do you allow Chinese diplomats on your platform if you are banned in the country?

• Mr. Dorsey, you’ve previously stated that Twitter uses algorithms to flag tweets that break the community guidelines, and if a Tweet is flagged, it will be reviewed by an employee before deciding whether to remove the Tweet or not.
  • How do you ensure the employees that are entrusted to review content are acting in a non-partisan and unbiased way?
  • What recourse do users have when their speech is censored by your platform?
  • Describe a scenario where Twitter would kick someone off the platform. 

• Mr. Dorsey and Mr. Zuckerberg, your platforms routinely make editorial decisions that affect how information is presented and what content appears more frequently or less frequently. If your platforms choose to act as publishers of information, then they should be treated as such. 
  • As Congress and the Administration work to reform Section 230, why should companies like yours continue to benefit from immunity that was granted to encourage platforms to promote free speech online when you are routinely doing just the opposite?

• Mr. Dorsey and Mr. Zuckerberg, in the United States we live under the Bill of Rights, which includes protections for the right to engage in lawful public discourse. 
  • Do you think that social media platforms in the United States should have their own set of guidelines that are displayed in a clear manner to all users prior to accessing your platforms so users knows their rights, and if platforms must comply?

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