Social media and telecom companies vague about their response to January 6 committee

A wide range of telecommunications and social media companies are still grappling with how to respond, if at all, to a request by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol to preserve the records of several hundred people that could play a role in their investigation.

The uncertainty around how they will respond comes against the backdrop of what is expected to be a protracted legal battle once the committee begins the process of formally requesting records be turned over as part of their investigation. The likelihood of litigation increased when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and several of his fellow Republican members cried foul over the committee's request. An official at one of the companies that received a request from the committee told CNN that McCarthy's warning last week was interpreted as a "shot across the bow" for phone providers, in particular. Still, many of the companies have indicated they still intend to work with the committee but the responses were overwhelmingly vague as far as what that would entail.