Parliamentary Committee Investigating Capitol Attack Sues Four Social Media Companies | internet

The companies must not only provide messages and videos from users, but also internal documents about how they acted against this. The committee had already asked the companies in August to voluntarily hand over the evidence. However, according to chairman Bennie Thompson, they did not respond sufficiently. The committee has therefore now summoned the companies.

The companies have been given until January 27 to supply the requested materials.

The Commission of Inquiry is trying various ways to gather information about how a demonstration by Trump supporters to support the president in his (false) claims that the elections were stolen from him could have culminated in the storming of the House of Representatives. Two key questions for the researchers are how the spread of false information contributed to the attack and what measures social networks can take to prevent their platforms from becoming hotbeds for radicalisation.

Twitter, Trump’s favorite social network before he was kicked off the platform, is of interest to the committee because of the communication between users “about the planning and execution of the attack on the Capitol” that allegedly took place on the platform. According to the researchers, Twitter had already been warned about the danger of violence before January 6.

YouTube will have to provide explanations about the videos that protesters have streamed live on the platform during the storm.

The commission wants to publish its findings before the midterm elections in November 2022. If Democrats lose control of the House in the election, the committee runs the risk of being dissolved by Republicans.