Texas Rep. Pfluger sends letter to Musk: 'Report any censorship requests from the administration'
Musk has repeated his desire to make Twitter a "common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner."
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House of Representative member August Pfluger (R-Texas) sent a letter to Twitter CEO Elon Musk Monday requesting Congress be alerted if the Biden Administration requests any content moderation.
"A serious threat to the First Amendment rights of Americans originates not only from zealous government censors, but from social media companies who proactively, and many times incorrectly, label specific viewpoints as misinformation and disinformation," Pfluger writes."I respectfully ask that you report to Congress on any censorship requests from this Administration, whether from the White House, another cabinet department, or agency that is designed to be independent.
SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 13, 2019. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
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The basis of Pfluger's request comes from Twitter's, "deep ties and collaborations with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the policing of speech on their respective platforms." The letter continues, "This isn’t just a recent trend. Unelected bureaucrats worked to undermine legitimate news in partnership with social media companies to suppress a New York Post article regarding Hunter Biden prior to the 2020 election."
Musk has been very active as Twitter's CEO, repeating his desire to make Twitter a "common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner." Nevertheless, many right wing pundits have hailed his takeover as an end to Twitter's perceived liberal bias.
Representative August Pfluger, (R-Texas), speaks during a hearing March 10, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Blinken is expected to take questions about the Biden administration’s priorities for U.S. foreign policy. (Photo by Ting Shen-Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"I hope that Musk continues his reforms to embrace free and open speech – what’s important is that we stop anonymous and unelected bureaucrats from deciding what qualifies as free speech," Pfluger told Fox News Digital. "If not, what the government calls ‘disinformation’ one day can be called truth the next."
Musk has also instituted a new policy of making company decisions based on public voting. Former President Donald Trump's banned Twitter account was reinstated after a public poll supported the move by 51.8% to 48.2%. Additionally, Musk has pitched an "amnesty" for banned accounts that had not "broken the law or engaged in egregious spam." This proposal succeeded with 72% of the vote.
"I support Musk’s amnesty," Pfluger told Fox News Digital. "It’s obvious that the prior Twitter leadership put into place polices that were not even-handed."
President Donald Trump stands on the balcony outside the Blue Room as returns to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
With Republicans controlling the House of Representatives for the first time since 2018, they have been outspoken about their desire to investigate the Biden administration for perceived mismanagement and corruption.
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"A Republican Majority is not going to let Big Tech go unchecked. I know many Americans appreciate Mr. Musk’s changes that allow for free speech to thrive," Pfluger told Fox News Digital. "The government has no place in policing free speech."