Dem Rep. Craig: There Will Be Talks about Regulation of Tech Companies, They’re Not Meeting ‘Responsibility’ on Disinformation, Hate

On Saturday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Velshi,” Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) said she thinks both Republicans and Democrats in Congress will discuss reforming Section 230, but there will also be “a conversation about how do we need to regulate these big tech companies much more fundamentally?” Craig also stated that tech companies aren’t living up to their “responsibility” on disinformation and hate speech.

Host Ali Velshi asked, “What do you think needs to be done here? Because this used to be a problem of data privacy and some amount of disinformation that was undermining our voting. This has now become substantially more serious, it’s spreading the lies that led to an actual insurrection and anti-democratic activities, this perpetuation of this fraud about voting rights, and now, anti-vax stuff. I mean, this is affecting us on every level of our democracy, our society, and economy.”

Craig responded, “I think what you’re going to see, both from the Democratic and the Republican side over the coming months is a real conversation around Section 230 reform. But I also think you’re going to see a conversation about how do we need to regulate these big tech companies much more fundamentally? You’re right, it’s disinformation. A lie can spread so fast, just like the anti-vaccine movement, just like the big lie that said that the president’s election was stolen from him. And, you know, this is a responsibility that the big tech companies are not living up to. The hate speech that they are allowing to disseminate across their platforms. And their algorithms, I think we need to look very strongly at how they have built those algorithms. And, right now, as I speak, legislation’s being prepared, both on the Democratic and the Republican side to much more fundamentally regulate this industry.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett