House Democrats are pressuring cable and streaming services in connection with their decisions to host channels that lawmakers accuse of spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories that lead to “real-world evil.”
Rep. Anna Eshoo
Anna Georges EshooHillicon Valley: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | YouTube Study | The Amazon Process | Trump comments that YouTube is still pushing white supremacist videos: studying Hillicon Valley: ballots come out in the battle of the Amazon union in Alabama | Hackers violate, try to poison Florida’s water supply Facebook to remove posts with false statements about vaccines MORE (California) and Jerry McNerney
Gerlad (Jerry) Mark McNerneyHillicon Valley: Judge’s ruling creates new hurdle for TikTok | House adopts bills to secure energy sector against cyber attacks Biden campaign urges Facebook to remove Trump posts spreading “falsehoods” House adopts bills to secure energy sector against cyber attacks Trump administration signs AI research and development agreement with UK MORE (Calif.), Senior members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, sent letters to companies Monday asking questions about the “ethical principles” involved in making decisions about which channels to take and when to take action against a channel.
“Some alleged news outlets have long been misinforming rumor mills and conspiracy theory outbreaks that produce content that leads to real harm,” they wrote.
“Disinformation on television has led to our current environment of polluted information that radicalizes people to commit seditious acts and rejects public health best practices, among other issues in our public discourse.”
The letter specifically calls for Newsmax, One America Network (OANN) and Fox News.
A Fox News spokesman said the letter “set a terrible precedent.”
“Being the most watched cable news channel throughout 2020, FOX News Media provided millions of in-depth reports, breaking news coverage and clear opinions. For individual members of Congress to highlight political speeches they don’t like and ask cable distributors to engage in discrimination is a terrible precedent, “the spokesman said in a statement.
MPs also demanded information on the number of users who connected to the stations in the weeks leading up to the elections and the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
Eshoo and McNerney have sent letters to traditional cable providers, including Verizon and Comcast, as well as technology companies that offer channels as part of streaming services, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Roku and Hulu.
Amazon said the company is reviewing the letter.
Spokespersons for other networks and providers did not immediately respond to comments.
The letter sets the stage for what will likely be a controversial commission on Wednesday that will hear about “misinformation and extremism in the media.”
Democrats and Republicans have been divided on this issue in the past, especially in October, in connection with technology platforms’ decision to limit the spread of a New York Post story that included accusations of Hunter Biden, his son now.President Biden
Joe BidenBiden will hold a moment of silence for 500 deaths through COVID-19 Publix offers employees receiving the COVID-19 vaccine a gift card from 5 stores Schumer says he is working to find votes to confirm Biden’s OMB choice MORE.
The story quickly drew skepticism about its supply and discoveries, but when tech giants stopped spreading online, Republicans widely criticized companies for censoring content and anti-conservative bias.
Republicans are expected to bring the controversy over Lent’s story back on Wednesday.
A Republican spokesman for the committee was not immediately available for comment when asked about Eshoo and McNerney’s letters.
However, Democrats can focus on increasing election misinformation and the role it would have played in leading the deadly insurgency in the Capitol on January 6. The letter sent by Eshoo and McNerney on Monday highlights the ways in which the stations broadcast false statements about the elections, as well as how the Capitol riot was covered.
The letter also discusses misinformation reports about COVID-19, which were reportedly distributed by Newsmax, OANN and Fox News.
– Updated at 12:36 pm