GOP Sens. Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley demand FTC look into social media companies' content curation methods

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published 15 July 2019

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who have made no secret of their disdain for the industry, are continuing to go after tech companies.

The two lawmakers on Monday sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission demanding the agency investigate how Facebook, Google, and Twitter decide what content appears on their social media platforms, Bloomberg reports.

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Still, the two senators are feeling the heat, especially from libertarians, for the letter, as Cruz has in the past. The senators' stance remains caught in what feels like a strange middle ground for the Republican party, as they're choosing between increasing regulations on business and championing free speech for conservatives — though its clear Cruz and Hawley prioritize the latter, especially at a crucial political moment.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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