Facebook, Twitter CEOs to testify before US Senate committee

[WASHINGTON] Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey both agreed to voluntarily testify before the Senate Commerce Committee on Oct 28, the companies said on Friday.

The committee on Thursday unanimously voted to approve a plan to subpoena chief executives of Twitter, Alphabet's Google and Facebook for a hearing on a prized legal immunity enjoyed by internet companies.

Twitter said on Friday the hearing "must be constructive & focused on what matters most to the American people: how we work together to protect elections."

The CEOs are to appear virtually. Google did not immediately comment.

Republican President Donald Trump has made holding tech companies accountable for allegedly stifling conservative voices a theme of his administration.

As a result, calls for a reform of Section 230 have been intensifying ahead of the elections, but there is little chance of approval by Congress this year.

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Last week, Mr Trump met with nine Republican state attorneys general to discuss the fate of Section 230 after the Justice Department unveiled a legislative proposal aimed at reforming the law.

REUTERS