Capitol riot committee demands records from Google, Facebook, Reddit and Twitter related to Jan. 6 attack

Facebook, Google and Twitter and different exertion companies are being asked to manus implicit records connected efforts to overturn the 2020 predetermination and the deadly Capitol attack.

Letters sent retired Friday by the legislature committee investigating the Jan. 6 unit question interior reviews, information and communications astir social media posts.

The House Select Committee is seeking records connected argumentation changes social media companies made, oregon failed to make, to code the dispersed of misinformation, violent extremism and overseas influence, including decisions to prohibition content.

Records of contacts with law enforcement and intelligence agencies are besides being sought.

Google said it was "committed to moving with Congress connected this."

"The events of January 6 were unprecedented and tragic, and Google and YouTube powerfully condemn them," the institution said successful a connection to U.S. TODAY. "We're committed to protecting our platforms from abuse, including by rigorously enforcing our policies for contented related to the events of January 6."

Facebook said it looked guardant "to continuing to enactment with the committee." Twitter declined to comment.

The petition for materials dating backmost to the outpouring of 2020 highlights the cardinal relation social media platforms played connected Jan. 6 erstwhile a rally implicit erstwhile President Donald Trump's baseless claims of predetermination fraud led to the storming of the Capitol.

Hundreds of radical were arrested, galore of whom were identified by photos, videos and posts connected societal media.

"The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack connected the United States Capitol is examining the facts, circumstances, and causes of the onslaught and relating to the peaceful transportation of power, successful bid to place and measure lessons learned and to urge corrective laws, policies, procedures, rules, oregon regulations," Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote.

The different societal media companies the sheet is targeting are 4chan, 8kun, Gab, Parler, Reddit, Snapchat, Telegram, theDonald.win, TikTok, Twitch and Zello.

"As we are a escaped to usage online publishing platform, it is inevitable that transgression actors volition question to maltreatment our services, arsenic so they maltreatment each online services," Gab CEO Andrew Torba said successful an email to users. "We enactment hard to guarantee that our services are denied to these atrocious actors."

"We look guardant to getting successful interaction with the Committee successful the coming weeks," helium added.

Seven Democrats and 2 Republicans beryllium connected the committee which was formed by House Democrats aft a Jan. 6 autarkic committee was blocked successful the Senate by Republicans.

Shortly earlier its archetypal hearing, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., denied 2 Republican nominations to the committee, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, implicit their votes to contention the 2020 election.

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