WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Facebook and Twitter CEOS Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, addressing a rule that shields tech companies from liability when social media platforms are used to spread misinformation.
Both big tech CEOs told lawmakers they’re open to new regulations.
“I believe we are well overdue to update the rules for the Internet around content, elections, privacy and data portability,” Zuckerberg said.
“It could be expansions to Section 230, new legislative frameworks, or commitment to industry-wide self-regulation,” Dorsey suggested.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said so far, the tech giants have only taken baby steps to address misinformation.
“The destructive incendiary information is still a scourge on both your platforms,” he said.
Blumenthal said the immunity granted by Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act is far too broad.
“Change is on the way and I intend to bring aggressive and targeted reform to Section 230,” Blumenthal said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, agrees changes should be made to Section 230 to stop what he considers the censorship and mislabeling of conservative voices.
“We’ve got to find a way to make sure that when Twitter and Facebook make a decision about what’s reliable and what’s not, what to keep up and what to take down, that there’s transparency in the system,” Graham said.
Graham said the tech giants’ power rivals the governments and needs to be brought under control.