US House of Representatives seeks information on Threads content

The Chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, has requested information about the content regulation of Threads, a new social media platform created by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to rival Twitter. In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Jordan requested that documents regarding Threads’ content moderation practices be sent to the Committee. Noting that they have obtained evidence that the federal government is pressuring or cooperating with technology, social media, and other companies to moderate online content, Jordan expressed concerns about the Committee’s “concern about whether the executive branch is engaging in censorship and oppression within the scope of free speech.” Jordan recalled in his letter that a federal court ruled on July 4 that the government’s collusion with and coercion of social media platforms violates constitutional rights, and that Meta plays a central role in this. “Threads raises serious, specific concerns because it is marketed as a competitor to Elon Musk’s Twitter, which has faced political persecution from the (Joe) Biden administration following its commitment to free speech,” Jordan said, adding that there are already reports that Threads is engaging in censorship. Jordan requested that Meta provide all relevant documentation to the Committee by July 31.