The U.S. House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Alphabet (GOOGL.O) on Thursday, demanding the tech giant provide communications with the Biden administration regarding content moderation policies. This subpoena, led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican, also includes requests for similar communications with external entities, such as companies and groups outside of the government.
The subpoena focuses on communications about the moderation or potential banning of content related to various conservative topics, including discussions about President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, COVID-19, and other conservative issues. This move follows heightened scrutiny of Big Tech by Republicans, who argue that these platforms suppress conservative viewpoints through their moderation policies.
In the past, the Trump administration and members of Congress have criticized Big Tech for allegedly silencing conservative voices online. U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has warned that companies that coordinated moderation efforts or misled users about their policies might be violating the law.
Last year, under similar scrutiny, Meta Platforms disclosed that it had faced pressure from the Biden administration to censor content, leading the company to scale back its content moderation policies. However, Jordan’s letter to Alphabet noted that the company had not yet disavowed any attempts by the Biden administration to censor speech, unlike Meta.
In response, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda affirmed that Alphabet would continue to demonstrate to the committee how it enforces policies independently, emphasizing its commitment to free expression.