Capitol Riot Panel Demands Records From 15 Social Media Companies In Wide-Reaching Probe - Forbes

Topline

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol on Friday sent letters to 15 social media companies seeking documents on any misinformation, extremism and foreign influence on their platforms and what steps they took to combat them, the latest sign of the probe’s broad scope.

Key Facts

The panel sent letters to mainstream sites including Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and right-leaning platforms and forums such as Parler, Gab and 4chan, as well as a site called “TheDonald.win.”

The letters ask the companies for their reviews and data on election misinformation, extremism and right-wing conspiracy movements like QAnon, foreign influence in the 2020 election, and Jan. 6 planning or other efforts to overturn the election.

The letters also request information on banned and sanctioned accounts, protocols used to stem misinformation or violence and previous requests from law enforcement or government officials for similar information.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chair of the panel, said the records will be used to examine the “facts, circumstances and causes” of the attack, as well as create “corrective” laws and regulations to prevent future attacks.

The panel is collecting troves documents as part of its review, asking eight federal agencies earlier this week for records on former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election and the government’s response to the Jan. 6 attack.

The select committee was created by the House in...



Read Full Story: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/08/27/capitol-riot-panel-demands-records-from-15-social-media-companies-in-wide-reaching-probe/

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