Lawmakers split over cracking down on extremist tweets

House lawmakers are divided over whether social media companies such as Twitter are responsible for the flood of extremist propaganda that can wash over their sites.

During a subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, members of both parties resisted calls to shame the platforms for not actively policing extremist activity.

{mosads}Yet members also worried about the megaphones such websites can give to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other groups.

“ISIS’s use of platforms like Twitter is highly effective,” Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Oversight subcommittee on national security, said on Wednesday. “YouTube videos depicting violent acts against Westerners are used to incite others to take up arms and wage jihad.”

In response, some hawkish lawmakers and outside analysts have called for Silicon Valley firms to be more proactive in removing extremists’ messages and working with federal officials to track them.

On Wednesday, however, House lawmakers from both parties warned that extra scrutiny of social media companies could invade their right to give users a platform for expressing themselves.

“I would say that providing an account on a social media site is not material support,” Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) said. “I don’t think it’s anywhere close to material support.”

“I do not believe that the United States government should be prohibiting speech based on content,” added Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.).

“I just believe that the government ought not to be sitting there deciding what content to shut down or not,” he added. “Even if we did, I believe that the Supreme Court would shut that down as unconstitutional.”

Earlier this year, Senate lawmakers attempted to pass a provision forcing Internet companies to notify federal officials if they find terrorist activity on their sites. After revolts from tech firms and civil libertarians, however, they dropped the effort. 

In addition, federal officials have also ramped up efforts to file charges against people spreading violent propaganda online.

“The problem that we have is that we have to try to balance national security … with the rights to free speech that people have,” said Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.). “That’s been the struggle here.”