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Capitol Hill conservatives are waging a multi-sided war on the tech industry in retaliation for moving President Trump and others to the right, congressional sources told Axios.
Why is this important: When you are in the minority, you determine who you are as a party. While Republicans are now looking at Democrats, they are looking for a unifying problem. It is one, at least for now.
What we hear: MPs are again talking about dismantling businesses, repealing their legal protections and calling their leaders to testify. They bit their tongues, however, to prevent further damage to their mark after the Capitol siege.
But, but, but: Some are starting to go on the offensive against businesses, at least online and in the conservative media.
- Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Who will lead Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee, demanded responses from CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter on Tuesday about their treatment of conservatives.
- In an appearance on Fox News last week, Wicker said, “He’s already taller than Donald Trump. It amounts to a stifling of free speech.”
What they say: Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Who became the poster child for Republican disproportion after the election, said Congress should consider dismantling the companies and adopting Trump’s call to repeal the article 230.
- This part of the decency of communications law protects platforms from any liability for the content their users post.
- “We’ve known for some time now that tech monopolies were moving towards shutting down Conservative voices. Now they’ve banned or censored multiple Tories within days,” Hawley told Axios.
Other Republicans agree, although we don’t know what they can do in the Congressional minority.
- “President Trump’s censorship proves just how much power Big Tech has over speech in America,” Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Said. “The way forward to curb Big Tech is to tackle blatant antitrust breaches and support the state’s efforts to hold these companies accountable.”
Yes, but: Complaints of bias only go very far, especially since right-wing pages work particularly well on Facebook.
- Democrats and progressives, in particular, complain that Big Tech has given refuge to the worst elements of the right, including white supremacists.
Hill damage control: Apple has contacted GOP offices in an attempt to explain and justify its suspension from Talking. Facebook also contacted after Trump’s ban to discuss the Conservatives’ censorship allegations, a GOP House aide said.
- Apple CEO Tim Cook told Fox News that if Talking “unites its moderation,” it would be back on the App Store.
- For Facebook, Trump’s ban is a clear sign the company is well aware of Democrats’ rise in Washington, but making amends with the Tories will also have to remain a priority.
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