Executives from Meta and Google returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 10: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Cruz delivers opening remarks during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
The subcommittee heard testimony from White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios about "America's AI action plan." Executives from Meta and Google returned to Capitol Hill Wednesday, facing intense questioning from lawmakers over allegations that the Biden administration pressured their companies to suppress speech online — particularly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election. The Senate Commerce Committee hearing, led by Republican lawmakers and Chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, revisited accusations that the White House coerced major social media platforms into removing or demoting posts that challenged the administration's narratives on issues ranging from vaccines to election integrity. “Big Tech was speechless when the Biden White House bullied them into censoring regular citizens,” Cruz said during the hearing. “They silenced dissent not because of misinformation, but because it didn’t align with the administration’s political agenda.” Representatives for both companies acknowledged that the administration had applied significant pressure. Neil Potts, Meta’s Vice President of Public Policy, told lawmakers, “We do regret our actions for not speaking out more forcefully against the Biden administration.” The hearing marked the latest in a series of high-profile congressional inquiries into the relationship between the federal government and Silicon Valley. Republicans argue that coordination between federal officials and private tech companies crossed constitutional lines, amounting to a violation of the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. Meta and Google, however, maintained that their moderation decisions were made independently and not at the government’s direction. “Ultimately, it was our decision to take down content, and we own those decisions,” Potts said. Markham Erickson, Google’s Vice President of Public Policy, echoed that sentiment: “We develop and enforce our policies independently.” But senators weren’t satisfied. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., pressed Erickson on whether YouTube had unfairly targeted conservative figures. “So it was your decision to ban Dan Bongino on YouTube? It was your decision to ban RFK Jr.? You can’t have it both ways,” Schmitt said, accusing Google of “banning the hell outta conservatives left and right.” Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., also raised eyebrows when he questioned Erickson about a reported $24.5 million settlement YouTube reached with President Trump after the company suspended his account in the aftermath of the January 6th riot. “Did YouTube pay $24.5 million to settle President Trump’s lawsuit, the majority of which goes toward Trump’s ballroom?” Luján asked. Erickson confirmed that it was correct. In response to the ongoing controversy, Cruz announced plans to introduce new legislation, called the Jawbone Act, designed to prohibit federal officials from using informal influence to pressure private companies into restricting speech. “This type of government coercion has no place in a free society,” Cruz said. The debate over online speech and government influence shows no signs of fading. With new evidence and lawsuits continuing to emerge, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appear determined to redefine the boundaries of digital free expression — and ensure that neither the government nor Big Tech can quietly shape what Americans are allowed to say or hear online.
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