Two Republican legislators are calling on Meta to release information about the company's decision to restrict the viewership of "political and social" content on two of its social media platforms.
Texas GOP Reps. August Pfluger and Dan Crenshaw wrote a letter this week to Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg as well as Meta COO Javier Olivan calling on them to release information at the company policy decision last February to preemptively enable an option to opt out of "political and social" content on the social media platforms Instagram and Threads.
"Meta is making its own decisions on what content from their elected representatives a user sees rather than acting as a platform for all views," the legislators wrote in the letter, which was first obtained by The Daily Caller.
"Your announcement mentions that this decision will not affect how a user views content," the letter continues. "Conservative voices deserve the continued opportunity to use social media platforms such as Instagram to inform users of political and social issues, hold elected leaders responsible, and fight against disinformation."
"It is crucial that company decisions do not undermine freedom of speech and expression. We believe that opting out of 'political and social content' is a decision that should be made by the user, not the platform," they added.
Meta said in a statement in February that the change only applies "to public accounts and in places where we recommend content such as Explore, Reels, In-Feed Recommendations and Suggested Users — it doesn't change how we show people content from accounts they choose to follow."
"Social media platforms have become vital tools for communication — allowing Members of Congress and other officials to engage directly with constituents," Pfluger said in a statement. "Limiting our ability to reach constituents undermines our service to the public and restricts citizens' access to information about their government. I urge Meta to prioritize transparency and uphold the principles of free speech and open communication, ensuring that all voices, including those of elected officials, can continue to be heard."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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