WASHINGTON—This morning, the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will hold a hearing to examine how various government officials and agencies have acted to suppress American speech online a year after the release of the first “Twitter Files.”
No politician or government official should be able to use their power and position to suppress free expression, online or offline. They must also not be allowed to pressure social media companies into making particular moderation decisions. When the Twitter Files were released last year, they further confirmed that Congress must act to protect us and affirm the First Amendment.
“The internet must remain free from government interference and protected by the First Amendment. The Twitter Files, and corresponding revelations we have seen since, further confirm this need, and NetChoice is glad Congress is taking this issue seriously,” said Carl Szabo, NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel. “Government officials should not be allowed to get away with unlawfully pressuring social media companies and silencing Americans’ free expression. Threats to free speech should be a bipartisan concern, and Congress should ensure our government does not abuse its authority.”
Szabo continued: “In 2024, NetChoice is also confident the Supreme Court will protect the First Amendment right of online services to host, curate and share content free from government censorship in our own cases.”
Please contact Krista Chavez at press@netchoice.org with inquiries.