Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admits platform’s role in Capitol riots

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who is testifying at a Congressional hearing on disinformation, made a first public acknowledgment of Twitter’s role in the US Capitol riots, which disturbed the political sphere of the US, according to US media reports. 

The declaration was made in a “Yes or No” conversation between Democratic Representative from Pennsylvania Mike Doyle, who asked for a clear answer from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai about their platform’s involvement in spreading misinformation that led to the violent outbreak at the Capitol Hill, reported New Yor Times. 

While Pichai and Zuckerberg did not answer with a “Yes or No” and took the diplomatic route, Dorsey took an unusual turn. He said, “Yes,” and later added “But you also have to take into consideration the broader ecosystem. It’s not just about the technological systems that we use.”

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The Congressional hearing is being conducted in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the lower house’s arm that scrutinizes technology-related policies. The meeting, which aims to limit online content with potential risk, got off to a bumpy start as the tech giant leaders reiterated their efforts for action against such content while the lawmakers rejected the claims. 

Dorsey stated, “We believe in free expression, we believe in free debate and conversation to find the truth. At the same time, we must balance that with our desire for our service not to be used to sow confusion division or distraction. This makes the freedom to moderate content critical to us.” reported AFP.