This Article is From Sep 06, 2018

Twitter Not Based On "Political Ideology", CEO Tells US Lawmakers

Jack Dorsey said Twitter is committed to rooting out abusive activity and "hostile foreign influence."

Twitter Not Based On 'Political Ideology', CEO Tells US Lawmakers

President Donald Trump has accused technology firms of "censorship" of conservative voices. (AFP)

Washington, United States:

Twitter does not operate on the basis of "political ideology," chief executive Jack Dorsey said Wednesday, rejecting claims of bias against conservatives.

"Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules," Dorsey said in prepared remarks to a congressional hearing with US technology giants.

"We believe strongly in being impartial, and we strive to enforce our rules impartially."

Dorsey's comments come days after President Donald Trump accused technology firms of "censorship" and suppressing conservative voices.

The statement from Dorsey released by a House panel covered questions about foreign influence operations on social media as well as accusations of political bias.

He said Twitter is committed to rooting out abusive activity and "hostile foreign influence."

"The purpose of Twitter is to serve the public conversation, and we do not make value judgments on personal beliefs," Dorsey said in his remarks.

Senator Mark Warner told the hearing that social media firms "were caught flat-footed by the brazen attacks on our election" and questioned whether Silicon Valley is capable of confronting the problem of foreign influence.

"I'm skeptical that, ultimately, you'll be able to truly address this challenge on your own," he told the hearing with Dorsey and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. "Congress is going to have to take action here."

Google rejected requests to send its CEO Sundar Pichai or parent firm Alphabet chief Larry Page, but offered a writted statement from its chief legal officer Kent Walker.



(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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