Former Twitter Execs Testify Over Handling of Biden Laptop Story

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Facts

  • Three former Twitter executives testified before the US House Oversight Committee on Wednesday regarding the platform’s temporary suppression of a New York Post story involving then-candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden in the weeks before the 2020 presidential election.
  • House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said the hearing was the 'first step in examining the coordination between the federal government and Big Tech to restrict protected speech and interfere in the democratic process.'
  • Comer subpoenaed Twitter’s former Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde, former Deputy General Counsel James Baker, and former Head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth.
  • The executives admitted to restricting access to the Post’s story on Hunter's laptop, with Roth saying, 'Twitter made a mistake,' with Gadde adding that the platform was using caution to prevent potentially hacked materials from being posted.
  • Republicans long criticized Twitter’s handling of the laptop story, but the interest was reignited when new CEO Elon Musk released internal documents in the 'Twitter Files,' appearing to show debate among employees over censoring the story, which led to accusations that the company helped Pres. Biden.
  • According to the 'Twitter Files,' the social media company received payments from the FBI and communicated with other intelligence agencies. Despite GOP claims that Twitter colluded with the federal government, Baker insisted that there was no 'unlawful collusion.'

Sources: Guardian, ABC News, CNN, New York Post, FOX News, and New York Post.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. Now that former Twitter executives are testifying under oath, they are finally admitting to their complicity in suppressing a story about Hunter Biden. While the mainstream media has tried to question the legitimacy of the Post’s story and Elon Musk’s Twitter Files, it's now clear that Twitter, under previous leadership, engaged in politically motivated censorship and must be held accountable.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. In an attempt to navigate a hyper-augmented climate of disinformation, Twitter's former leaders admittedly made mistakes in their handling of the Hunter Biden story. However,  Republicans' desperate attempt to spin Elon Musk’s Twitter Files into a smoking gun of collusion between Twitter and Biden has fallen painfully flat. This hearing is nothing but an illegitimate performance.