Leaders.com
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
  • Master Classes
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Executives
    • Marketing and Sales
    • Social Media
    • Innovation
    • Women in Business
  • Leadership
    • Personal Growth
    • Company Culture
    • Public Speaking
    • Productivity
    • Hiring
    • Social Issues
    • Leaders
  • Wealth
    • Investing
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Retirement
    • Venture Capital
    • Loans and Borrowing
    • Taxes
    • Markets
    • Real Estate
  • Master Classes
Social Media Comer

Representative James Comer leads the House Oversight Committee's Twitter grilling (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

By Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel is a news writer for Leaders Media. He was the Fall 2021 College Fix Fellow and Health Care...

Full bio


Learn about our editorial policy

Feb 10, 2023

GOP Grills Former Twitter Executives

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have begun hearings into social media censorship—notably with alleged tech censorship from Twitter. 

Key Details

  • On Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives House Oversight Committee grilled three former Twitter executives—chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, deputy general counsel James Baker, and global head of trust and safety Yoel Roth. 
  • Congressional Republicans, led by Representative James Comer (KY), called the session “Protecting Speech From Government Interference and Social Media Bias, Part 1: Twitter’s Role In Suppressing the Biden Laptop Story.”
  • They argued that Twitter’s treatment of the Hunter Biden laptop story was an example of social media being slanted towards Democrats, violating first amendment protections, and working with the FBI to spread narratives and censor political targets—as alleged by the Twitter Files.  
  • The former Twitter executives denied allegations against them, with Roth alleging that Twitter never took down tweets at the behest of the Biden administration. It merely received the requests and independently verified if they violated the terms of service. 
  • Baker defended the actions of Twitter, arguing there was “no unlawful collusion with, or direction from, any government agency or political campaign” in his testimony.

Why It’s News 

As was alleged in The Twitter Files, members of Twitter removed links, blocked direct messages, and blocked the official account of the New York Post for posting links to a story about Hunter Biden’s laptop, which could’ve affected the outcome of the 2020 election. The move was done without the approval of CEO Jack Dorsey, on the grounds that it constituted “hacked materials.” Gadde, Baker, and Roth allegedly proceeded, knowing that it violated the site’s terms of service. 

Gadde admitted in her testimony that the company made a mistake in suppressing the story. 

“In the runup to the 2020 presidential election, Big Tech and the Swamp colluded to censor reporting about the Biden family’s shady business schemes. Americans deserve answers about this attack on the First Amendment … Accountability is coming,” says Comer (R-KY). 

Alternative Perspectives 

As Axios notes, there is an outstanding disagreement between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of tech censorship. Republicans accuse Big Tech of being too censorious. At the same time, Democrats favor removing hate speech, foreign propaganda, and other forms of speech so long as it is done by a private company. 

Democrats blasted the session as a waste of time meant to perpetuate conspiracy theories and relitigate the 2020 election. In a statement to The Hill, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) blasted the hearing as an “abuse of public resources,” alleging that the committee’s claims of first amendment violations were not met with any legislative arguments or solutions. 

“Twitter is a private media company. In America, private media companies can decide what to publish or how to curate content however they want. The professional conspiracy theorists heckling and haranguing this private company have already gotten their precious apology. What more do they want? And why does the United States Congress have to be involved in this nonsense?” says Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD).

Home / News / GOP Grills Former Twitter Executives
Share
FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Related Stories

Wall Street Makes $100 Billion Bet on Weight Loss Pills

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Investing

Oct 25, 2023

Ozempic

Investor optimism around a potential blockbuster obesity drug by Structure Therapeutics led to soaring share prices across the weight-loss pharma sector.

Key Details

  • Structure Therapeutics' stock jumped 35% after reporting positive results from early clinical trials of a once-daily weight-loss pill.
  • The experimental drug helped participants lose about 5% of their body weight over one month without side effects, although there are concerns with Ozempic.
  • Analysts predict the global anti-obesity medication market could reach sales of $100 billion by 2030, up from $71 billion currently.
  • With promising growth prospects, investors are betting on companies developing new weight loss drugs like Structure, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Seattle Takes The Crown For Advanced Tech Talent

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Tech

Oct 24, 2023

Seattle tech talent

Seattle has emerged as the metro area with the most advanced tech talent, beating out tech hubs like San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Key Details

  • According to a new ranking by the Burning Glass Institute, Seattle has the highest proportion of advanced tech workers compared to other cities with similarly sized tech workforces.
  • The ranking evaluated 60 million high-paying, in-demand tech job postings and histories to identify cities with cutting-edge roles like AI and cybersecurity rather than legacy tech positions.
  • With tech giants Amazon and Microsoft headquartered in Seattle, the city edged out the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Austin, and Raleigh on the list.
  • The report found that demand for software developers and IT support specialists has declined over the past five years as companies seek more specialized tech talent.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

More Americans Can’t Keep Up With Car Payments

by Colin Baker Leaders Staff
Loans and Borrowing

Oct 23, 2023

car loans, used cars

A record number of Americans are behind on their car loan payments as higher interest rates and prices weigh on consumers.

Key Details

  • According to data from Fitch Ratings, 6.11% of car loans were at least 60 days delinquent in September, the highest since tracking began in the early 2000s.
  • Some interest rates on used cars can rise to as much as 21%, according to Bankrate.
  • Soaring prices and rising interest rates are squeezing consumers, making it difficult for some to keep up with their auto loans.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn
Chevron Gas Deal
Markets

Oct 23, 2023

Chevron Makes $53 Billion Deal Amid Surging Gas Prices

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
nike logo
Company Culture

Oct 20, 2023

Nike to Require More In-Office Days From Employees

by Colin Baker Leaders Staff
blue collar workers
Retirement

Oct 20, 2023

Explaining The ‘C+ Grade’ Retirement Ecosystem in The United States

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff

Recent Articles

Hiring

Nov 1, 2023

Learn the Winning Answers to the Most Common Phone Interview Questions

Come to your next phone interview fully prepared

Personal Growth

Oct 30, 2023

85 Quotes on Self-Love to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Don’t fall into the trap of harsh self-criticism

Company Culture

Oct 27, 2023

What is a Sabbatical? Your Ticket to Restful Growth and Meaning

Sabbaticals can benefits both employees and businesses

  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
Join the Leaders Community

Get exclusive tools and resources you need to grow as a leader and scale a purpose-driven business.

Subscribing indicates your consent to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

Leaders.com
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Careers
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Member Login

© 2025 Leaders.com - All rights reserved.

Search Leaders.com