Big Tech Braces for GOP Investigations Over Censorship
New laws are unlikely no matter which party controls Congress, but Republican probes could be a headache for Zuckerberg and his peers.
Photo Illustration by 731; Photo: Getty Images
In September, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan and 34 of his Republican colleagues sent a letter to Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg. In it they outlined their concerns that Meta suppressed material that would have been politically damaging to Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. “This letter serves as a formal request to preserve all existing and future records and materials,” they wrote.
The congressmen had no power to make Zuckerberg heed the request, and he didn’t respond. But Jordan was preparing for big changes in the near future. A Republican takeover of the House would likely elevate him to Judiciary Committee chair, a position that would allow him to back up his demands with the threat of a subpoena. Jordan was a key participant in the Benghazi investigation, a sprawling House probe that was bipartisan but used by some Republicans for political purposes, a goal at which Jordan proved particularly adept.