The hearing also marks the CEOs' first time back before Congress since

Trump was banned or suspended from their respective platforms following

the Capitol riots. Facebook and Google declined to say whether they
believe they bear some responsibility for spreading misinformation resulting
in the Capitol riots, while Twitter acknowledged that it did.

n his introductory remarks, Zuckerberg rejected responsibility for fomenting

the riots, pinning the blame squarely on Trump and a "political and media
environment that drives Americans apart."
Zuckerberg said Facebook "did our part to secure the integrity of the
election. And then on Jan. 6, President Trump gave a speech ... calling on
people to fight."
The hearings coincide with legislation under active consideration in both
the House and Senate to rein in the tech industry. Some bills target
companies' economic dominance and alleged anti-competitive practices.
Others zero in on the platforms' approach to content moderation or data
privacy. The various proposals could introduce tough new requirements for
tech platforms, or expose them to greater legal liability in ways that may
reshape the industry.
Many lawmakers had harsh words for the tech platforms. But the topic and
direction of their questions provided an important clue as to Congress's
possible next steps. Democrats focused their questioning on the tech
platforms' algorithms and the way that their quest for profit allegedly leads
to negative outcomes for users and society at large. Republicans,
meanwhile, introduced a new line of attack focusing on how the platforms'
practices are particularly toxic for the mental health of children and teens.
The hours-long hearing at times resembled a duel between openly
outraged lawmakers and the embattled executives. Members of Congress
accused the CEOs of being smug, evasive and condescending. In some of
their responses, the CEOs appeared to barely restrain their own
exasperation with gotcha-minded yes-or-no questions.
For the executives in the hotseat, Thursday's session may also be their last
chance to make a case personally to lawmakers before Congress embarks
on potentially sweeping changes to federal law.
At the heart of the coming policy battle is Section 230 of the
Communications Act of 1934, the signature liability shield that grants
websites legal immunity for much of the content posted by their users.
Members of both parties have called for updates to the law, which has
been interpreted broadly by the courts and is credited with the development
of the open internet.
What the Biden administration means for the future of Silicon Valley

The CEOs' written testimony ahead of the high-profile hearing Thursday

sketches out areas of potential common ground with lawmakers and hints
at areas where the companies intend to work with Congress — and areas
where Big Tech is likely to push back.
Zuckerberg plans to argue for narrowing