US Congress piles pressure on Big Tech CEOs over misinformation

Twitter’s Dorsey takes some responsibility for Capitol Hill riot, while Facebook’s, and Alphabet’s chiefs deflect blame.

In their first appearance before the United States Congress since supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, the chief executives of Facebook, Google and Twitter were asked by US policymakers whether their platforms bore some responsibility for the riot: “Yes or no?” Social media has been widely blamed for amplifying calls to violence and spreading misinformation that contributed to the January 6 attempt to violently overturn the election results. Only Twitter Inc CEO Jack Dorsey replied “yes” to the question but said the “broader ecosystem” had to be taken into account. “It’s not just about the technology platforms we use,” he added.