VIDEO: Schatz Slams Republicans For Pressuring Tech Companies To Stop Policing Misinformation Ahead Of Election

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today criticized his Republican colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee for pressuring tech companies so that they stop policing election-related misinformation on their platforms.

It is critical to the integrity of the election that tech companies moderate content on their sites and take down misinformation. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act enables them to do that and does not require platforms to remain neutral. However, Senate Republicans have repeatedly threatened to reform Section 230 as a way to pressure tech companies into allowing false and misleading information to spread for their political benefit.

“These social media platforms should not publicize election-related misinformation, regardless of whether Ted Cruz or Rick Scott or anyone else in the Republican universe considers that to be biased. Because there are some principles that go beyond our partisan objectives,” said Senator Schatz.

Schatz continued, “If there is an opportunity for us to explore how we're going to amend Section 230 in good faith, we should do that. But this appears to me like an attempt to work the refs coming up to the election.

To view the full video of Senator Schatz’s remarks, click here.

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