US House committee summons CEOs of Discord, Twitch, Reddit to testify on online radicalization

The House Oversight Committee has requested that the CEOs of Discord, Twitch, Reddit, and gaming level Steam attest connected October 8th astir their platforms’ alleged engagement successful immoderate online “radicalization” and the “incitement to perpetrate politically motivated acts,” according to letters sent from the House committee to the 4 tech CEOs. 

In a statement, Rep. James Comer, president of the Oversight Committee, referenced the execution of Charlie Kirk and “other acts of politically motivated violence” arsenic reasons wherefore Congress has a “duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals person utilized to beforehand governmental violence,” helium said. 

“To forestall aboriginal radicalization and violence, the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit indispensable look earlier the Oversight Committee and explicate what actions they volition instrumentality to guarantee their platforms are not exploited for nefarious purposes.” 

Discord told Reuters that it looked guardant to testifying successful October, portion Reddit said it was investigating the nexus betwixt its level and Kirk’s death. (TechCrunch has besides reached retired to the companies summoned.)

Kirk was a salient blimpish activistic and a adjacent state of President Trump. Tyler Robinson changeable and killed Kirk past week portion Kirk spoke astatine an lawsuit successful Utah. Robinson reportedly appeared to person confessed to committing the transgression successful a chat connected Discord soon earlier his arrest. The bullets Robinson utilized were besides seemingly engraved with memes and references to video games.