Congress will hold Big Tech accountable and stop abuse of power

By CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS

Big Tech is a destructive force. It actively promotes free speech on its forums by silencing content it disagrees with. Meanwhile, these companies refuse to publicly acknowledge that they exploit children, neglect parents, and that their platforms put children’s mental health and safety at risk. It’s unclear how Big Tech stores and accesses Americans’ personal data in countries like China. Big Tech has betrayed our trust, which is why House Republicans have established a Big Tech Task Force to develop proposals to hold these companies accountable.

A priority for the task force is preventing online speech. Freedom of speech is a critical engine of progress in our society. It has fueled ingenuity and innovation in everything from science to art and has been essential to entrepreneurial success in every industry, including the technology industry. However, Big Tech shut down this battle of ideas on its platform. This was the case when Facebook and Twitter flagged and silenced the humor site. Babylon Bee. That was the case when Big Tech fended off legal arguments and possible leaks about a Covid-19 lab. New York Post‘S Hunter Biden’s laptop story, and, more recently, as these companies point to posts — including from economists — disputing President Biden’s attempt to redefine the recession.

Big Tech is a destructive force. It actively promotes free speech on its forums by silencing content it disagrees with.

Big Tech should not be the arbiter of truth. Our task force proposed solutions to hold these companies accountable for censoring Americans. For starters, we’ll remove any doubt from the law’s Section 230 protections that Big Tech has used to justify its censorship, so that these companies can continue to silence constitutionally protected speech without consequence. We also require Big Tech companies to submit quarterly updates on its content moderation practices, and require Section 230 protections to sunset after 5 years. This would increase transparency for Big Tech and give Congress a timeline to reassess its liability protections if necessary. Finally, we will strengthen the power of consumers to challenge censorship decisions by allowing people to petition state attorneys general and demanding that Big Tech improve its consumer appeals process.

The task force is also developing solutions to address the effects of Big Tech on children. According to a recent survey, 46 percent of young adults in the United States say they use the Internet “almost all the time,” and 97 percent say they use the Internet every day. This is damaging their minds and exposing them to harmful content like illegal drugs.

We’ve featured several solutions to equip parents with the tools they need to ensure their children are safe online. These include monitoring their children’s social media usage, setting time limits on usage and receiving notifications about their children’s online activity. We also limit what information Big Tech may collect, share and use about children. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, requires user-friendly processes for parents to access help, and allows parents to be held accountable when Big Tech knowingly facilitates illegal activities. Finally, we want Big Tech to include warning labels about the risks and harms of children using their products and services.

Our task force proposed solutions to hold these companies accountable for censoring Americans.

Finally, we want Big Tech to be clear about sharing Americans‘ Personal information with countries like China. We’ve heard that TikTok is collecting sensitive data on millions of US users that the Chinese Communist Party may have access to. This is a huge breach of trust. No one’s online information should be shared or stored anonymously in China.

“For years, Big Tech has used the information we provide only to enhance our experience on platforms that are fundamental to free speech,” he said. Now we know these companies have been tricking us to bulk up their bottom line and become more powerful. It’s time for Congress to hold Big Tech accountable for abusing its power to censor Americans, harm our children, and fail to protect our privacy.

Kathy McMorris Rogers represents Washington’s 5th District in the United States House of Representatives. She serves as the Republican leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and is the chair of the House GOP Big Tech Task Force.