House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenaed the chief executive officers of Google, Amazon, Facebook and others for documents relating to the government’s alleged “collusion” with Big Tech companies to “suppress free speech.”
Jordan, R-Ohio, subpoenaed Alphabet [Google] CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta [Facebook] CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to turn over records by March 23.
“The House Judiciary Committee has repeatedly attempted to engage with the five companies since last December,” Jordan’s office said. “Unfortunately, the companies have not adequately complied with our requests.”
JORDAN DEMANDS BIG TECH RECORDS DETAILING ‘COLLUSION’ WITH BIDEN ADMIN TO CENSOR CONSERVATIVES
“Congress has an important role in protecting and advancing fundamental free speech principles, including by examining how private actors coordinate with the government to suppress First Amendment-protected speech,” Jordan’s office said. “These subpoenas are the first step in holding Big Tech accountable.”
A Microsoft spokesperson told Fox News Digital that they “have started producing documents, are engaged with the Committee, and committed to working in good faith.”
A Meta spokesperson told Fox News Digital that they also have “already begun producing documents in response to the committee’s requests and will continue to do so moving forward.”
Spokespeople for Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
In December, before Republicans took the majority of the House of Representatives, Jordan requested documents and communications from the executives related to Big Tech censorship.
At the time, Jordan and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee said they had evidence that Big Tech Companies were “colluding with the Biden administration to suppress free speech online.”
“Big Tech is out to get conservatives, and is increasingly willing to undermine First Amendment values by complying with the Biden administration’s directives that suppress freedom of speech online,” Jordan wrote in December. “This approach undermines fundamental American principles and allows powerful government actors to silence political opponents and stifle opposing viewpoints.”
At the time, Jordan said the companies’ “treatment of certain speakers and content may stem from government directives or guidance designed to suppress dissenting views,” and demanded information about “the nature and extent of your companies’ collusion with the Biden administration.”
Jordan has been demanding documents and records of communications from January 2020 to the present between any company employee or contractor and any person affiliated with the executive branch of the U.S. government referring to moderation, deletion or reducing the circulation of certain content.
Jordan also demanded companies provide a list of third-party groups, companies or people that they have worked with as they make decisions or policies related to content moderation or suppression.
The investigation comes after Republicans have sounded the alarm for years on Big Tech censorship and bias against conservatives.
Jordan’s letters in December came shortly after Twitter CEO Elon Musk revealed the “Twitter Files,” which detailed the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story on the social media platform ahead of the 2020 election.
MUSK REVEALED EXTENT OF HUNTER BIDEN CENSORSHIP BY RELEASING TWITTER FILES
Biden has been under federal investigation for his tax affairs, including money laundering, since 2018.