A member of the US Congress called out Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after he tweeted a cryptic poll apparently to vent his frustration over the format of a congressional hearing on misinformation and extremism.
At the hearing with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, lawmakers on Thursday grilled the top executives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google.
As the tech CEOs were effectively made to give answers to some complicated questions in simple “Yes” or “No” format, Dorsey posted a Twitter poll with the question: “?” that had two answers to pick from: either a “Yes” or “No.”
His post attracted the attention of US Representative Kathleen Rice.
“Mr. Dorsey, what is winning? yes or no ? on your Twitter account�poll?,” asked Rice.
“Yes,” Dorsey answered simply. “Hmmm,” Rice admonished.
“Your multitasking skills are quite impressive,” she said in a tone that actually seemed to convey the opposite.
In his opening remarks at the hearing, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone said that Facebook, Google, and Twitter “failed to meaningfully change after your platforms played a role in fomenting insurrection, in abetting the spread of Covid-19, and trampling Americans civil rights.”
The hearing came in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
“And while it may be true that some bad actors will shout fire in a crowded theatre, by promoting harmful content, your platforms are handing them a megaphone to be heard in every theater across the country and the world. Your business model itself has become the problem,” he said.
“The time for self-regulation is over. It is time we legislate to hold you accountable.”
