(FiveNation.com)- Last Wednesday, Congressman Jim Jordan, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, issued subpoenas to the CEOs of the country’s largest tech firms after the companies failed to comply with previous requests for documents, CBS News reported.
Republicans in the House have tried unsuccessfully to obtain information on possible collusion between the Biden White House and big tech companies since before taking control of the chamber in January, according to CBS News. But now that Republicans hold subpoena power, Congressman Jordan is making full use of it to get the records requested.
The subpoena letters, which were sent to the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, are demanding any communications between the Biden administration and each of the tech companies that are related to content moderation as well as the suppression, deletion, or restrictions of any accounts. Additionally, the CEOs are to turn over any other documents related to those topics.
According to the letter, Jordan explains that the documents requested are necessary to help Congress to develop and consider “effective legislation,” including legislation limiting the “executive branch’s ability to work with big tech” in restricting the “circulation of content” or de-platforming users.
Jordan argues that to propose new legislation, the Judiciary Committee must first understand the extent of coercion and collusion the executive branch had with tech companies “and other intermediaries” to censor free speech.
CBS News reported that Republican committee members are especially interested in whether the Biden administration worked with tech companies to censor speech that ran counter to the administration’s pandemic messaging.
A spokesperson for Microsoft told CBS News that the company has begun producing the documents and is “committed to working in good faith.”
Similarly, a Meta spokesperson said the company was preparing the documents in response to the Republican lawmakers’ previous requests and will continue to do so.
The Judiciary Committee has given the CEOs until March 23 to turn over the documents.
