House GOP Subpoenas Google Over Biden-Era Content Moderation

Above: A Google logo sign at the Google for Startups campus in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 13, 2025. Image copyright: Damian Lemanski/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Facts

  • The House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Google's parent Alphabet, demanding the release of communications between the company and the Joe Biden administration regarding content moderation policies and practices.

  • It requested documents on restrictions concerning content related to Pres. Trump, Elon Musk, COVID-19, and other conservative topics, besides communications with third parties working with the executive branch.

  • The subpoena follows similar probes into Meta, which admitted to wrongly censoring content under pressure from the Biden regime. Last month, the panel subpoenaed eight tech majors, including Apple and X Corp.


The Spin

Republican narrative

Content moderation on social media reflects a dangerous overreach, stifling the marketplace of ideas that underpins democracy. When platforms censor "fake news" or "hate speech" — terms with inherently vague definitions — they inevitably silence legitimate political discourse.


Democratic narrative

Content moderation decisions are made independently based on clear platform policies, not government pressure, and are necessary to maintain a safe online environment while protecting free expression and fostering meaningful public discourse. Social media platforms have a civic duty to maintain civilized public discourse.



Metaculus Prediction





Go Deeper


Articles on this story