The Home choose committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol issued subpoenas to 4 social-media corporations as a part of its investigation into the riot and its causes.
The committee issued subpoenas to Google mum or dad firm
Alphabet Inc.,
Meta Platforms Inc.,
Reddit Inc. and
Twitter Inc.
after receiving what the committee referred to as insufficient responses to its prior requests for data. The committee is demanding data associated to the unfold of misinformation, efforts to overturn the 2020 election, home extremism and international affect within the 2020 election.
“Two key questions for the Choose Committee are how the unfold of misinformation and violent extremism contributed to the violent assault on our democracy, and what steps—if any—social-media corporations took to forestall their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalizing folks to violence,” stated the committee’s chairman,
Rep. Bennie Thompson
(D., Miss.). “It’s disappointing that after months of engagement, we nonetheless would not have the paperwork and data essential to reply these fundamental questions.”
The committee stated it has been investigating the position of social-media platforms in efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcomes and what the businesses may need identified in regards to the unfold of extremism within the lead-up to Jan. 6, 2021.
Mr. Thompson stated in a letter to Alphabet that its YouTube was used for communications associated to the Jan. 6 assault and to unfold misinformation in regards to the election. In a letter to Meta, Mr. Thompson cited public studies that the corporate’s platforms, which embody Fb, had been used to unfold messages of violence and for efforts to mobilize folks to problem the election outcomes.
“We’ve been actively cooperating with the Choose Committee since they began their investigation, responding substantively to their requests for paperwork, and are dedicated to working with Congress by way of this course of,” Alphabet stated in a press release.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone stated that “Meta has produced paperwork to the committee on a schedule committee employees requested—and we are going to proceed to take action.”
A Reddit spokesperson stated the corporate had obtained the subpoena and can proceed to work with the committee on its requests.
Twitter declined to remark.
The committee’s newest spherical of subpoenas comes a day after it requested Home Republican Chief
Kevin McCarthy
of California to voluntarily present details about his conversations with then-President
Donald Trump
earlier than, throughout and after the riot. Mr. McCarthy rejected the request, saying it was politically motivated.
The panel is led by Mr. Thompson and Vice Chairwoman
Liz Cheney
(R., Wyo.). The investigation is trying into the causes and safety failures of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, when supporters of Mr. Trump stormed the constructing and quickly disrupted the certification of Democrat
Joe Biden’s
presidential election win.
The panel has demanded data from quite a few social-media corporations over the previous a number of months. The committee additionally has contacted former Trump administration officers and allies for testimony or paperwork.
The panel additionally requested to fulfill with Reps.
Scott Perry
(R., Pa.) and
Jim Jordan
(R., Ohio). Each rejected the committee’s request, saying the panel is illegitimate.
—Salvador Rodriguez contributed to this text.
Write to Alexa Corse at alexa.corse@wsj.com
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Appeared within the January 14, 2022, print version as ‘Social-Media Companies Subpoenaed.’
