The chief executives of Facebook, Twitter and Google face skepticism from a Senate committee over their decisions about what content to allow and what to take down from their platforms.
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter's Jack Dorsey and Google's Sundar Pichai go before the Senate Commerce Committee to defend Section 230, a law that protects them from lawsuits over users' posts.
The Justice Department's lawsuit against Google is the clearest sign yet of the "Techlash" that has politicians on both sides of the aisle bristling at the power of Silicon Valley.
While Republicans accuse Facebook and Twitter of censoring free speech, one expert says the platforms should do more because U.S. voters are "more vulnerable to online disinformation" than ever.
The social media companies said they wanted to slow the spread of possibly false information. But their actions drew charges of censorship from President Trump and his allies.
The move is a reversal of Facebook's longstanding reluctance to block problematic content. Critics say public health misinformation has flourished on the social network.
Facebook's goal is to help messages about the safety and efficacy of vaccines reach a broad group of people, while prohibiting ads with misinformation that could harm public health efforts.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who previously considered such claims free speech, said his thinking has "evolved." Survivors had lobbied the social network to remove posts that deny the Holocaust.
The social network announced new measures to prevent misinformation, threats and confusion surrounding the election, but said it would let Donald Trump Jr's call for an 'army of poll watchers' stand.
A new report highlights how easy it is to spread hoaxes on Facebook, despite the tech giant's increasing efforts to stop misinformation about the coronavirus and the election.
Conservatives accuse Facebook of being biased against right-wing views, but engagement data tells a different story. The most popular content on Facebook, though, remains a secret.
House Democrats recommend Congress look at ways to force the companies to split off some of their businesses, saying the tech giants have exploited their power to benefit themselves and hurt rivals.
The president, who is being treated for COVID-19, has been downplaying the severity of the disease. He said falsely that, compared with the flu, COVID-19 is "in most populations far less lethal."
All three tech companies confirmed that posts expressing the hope that the president does not recover from COVID-19 will be removed for violating each platform's content policies.
A new report finds 25% of women are considering downsizing or quitting their careers as a result of pandemic-related pressures. Facebook's chief operating officer says that "should terrify all of us."
