< <Facebook’s and Twitter’s CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, have voluntarily agreed to attend a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on November 17th. According to the committee’s announcement, the social media bigwigs will be there to testify on their “platforms’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles.” The announcement comes a day after Republican Senators voted to subpoena the executives so they can respond to censorship accusations.In mid-October, the social media platforms took action to limit the spread of a New York Post story that claimed to have obtained unflattering emails from the laptop of Joe Biden’s son. The publication provided little evidence for the claims made in the article, and at least one expert pointed out all the red flags that put the emails’ authenticity into question.Facebook said at the time that it was reducing the story’s distribution until it had been reviewed by the company’s fact checking partners. A spokesperson explained that it’s “part of [the company’s] standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation.” Meanwhile, Twitter completely blocked the story’s URL from being shared via tweets and direct messages, citing its existing policies around hacked materials. The steps the platforms took reignited accusations that they have an anti—conservative political bias. As a result of the backlash, Twitter had to update its hacked materials policy and had to unblock the New York Post link.In addition to discussing the companies’ response to the Post’s story, the committee will also take the chance to “review [their] handling of the 2020 election,” since the hearing is happening a couple of weeks after Election Day. Before the executives face the Senate to testify about news suppression, though, they first have to attend a hearing about Section 230 protections on October 28th.

<

Facebook’s and Twitter’s CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, have voluntarily agreed to attend a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on November 17th. According to the committee’s announcement, the social media bigwigs will be there to testify on their “platforms’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles.” The announcement comes a day after Republican Senators voted to subpoena the executives so they can respond to censorship accusations.

In mid-October, the social media platforms took action to limit the spread of a New York Post story that claimed to have obtained unflattering emails from the laptop of Joe Biden’s son. The publication provided little evidence for the claims made in the article, and at least one expert pointed out all the red flags that put the emails’ authenticity into question.

Facebook said at the time that it was reducing the story’s distribution until it had been reviewed by the company’s fact checking partners. A spokesperson explained that it’s “part of [the company’s] standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation.” Meanwhile, Twitter completely blocked the story’s URL from being shared via tweets and direct messages, citing its existing policies around hacked materials. The steps the platforms took reignited accusations that they have an anti—conservative political bias. As a result of the backlash, Twitter had to update its hacked materials policy and had to unblock the New York Post link.

In addition to discussing the companies’ response to the Post’s story, the committee will also take the chance to “review [their] handling of the 2020 election,” since the hearing is happening a couple of weeks after Election Day. Before the executives face the Senate to testify about news suppression, though, they first have to attend a hearing about Section 230 protections on October 28th.

< < Microsoft has been the only company so far to say publicly it’s pursuing TikTokTwitter has had preliminary discussions about a “combination” with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported, making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app. As the WSJ notes, it’s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok, and any such deal would have big obstacles.The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration’s executive order from August 6th, which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US. The order takes effect within 45 days. The administration considers the Chinese-owned app a potential security threat, despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans’ data with the Chinese government. TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration’s order.And then there’s Microsoft, the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition. The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok, with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal. Twitter is much smaller than Microsoft, and the WSJ’s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft. But Twitter also doesn’t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase.Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition, which would include TikTok operations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th.Any deal with Twitter would involve TikTok’s US operations, according to the WSJ.Twitter declined to comment. A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not comment on market rumors.

<

 Microsoft has been the only company so far to say publicly it’s pursuing TikTok

Twitter has had preliminary discussions about a “combination” with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported, making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app. As the WSJ notes, it’s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok, and any such deal would have big obstacles.

The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration’s executive order from August 6th, which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US. The order takes effect within 45 days. The administration considers the Chinese-owned app a potential security threat, despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans’ data with the Chinese government. TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration’s order.

And then there’s Microsoft, the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition. The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok, with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal. Twitter is much smaller than Microsoft, and the WSJ’s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft. But Twitter also doesn’t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase.

Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition, which would include TikTok operations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th.

Any deal with Twitter would involve TikTok’s US operations, according to the WSJ.

Twitter declined to comment. A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not comment on market rumors.