House Dems To Grill Tech Companies On White Nationalism, Hate Crimes

A muslim man kneels facing the Masjid Al Noor mosque on March 19, 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand, where worshipers were gunned down three days ago. - The carnage unleashed in Christchurch by a white supremacist ha... A muslim man kneels facing the Masjid Al Noor mosque on March 19, 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand, where worshipers were gunned down three days ago. - The carnage unleashed in Christchurch by a white supremacist has highlighted what analysts say is the global problem of a far-right threat that frequently flies beneath the intelligence radar. Brenton Tarrant was steeped in a neo-fascist, anti-Muslim ideology, according to a rambling "manifesto" he posted online before the massacre of 50 people at two mosques last week. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next Tuesday on hate crimes and how social media has fueled the resurgence of white nationalism.

In a press releasing announcing the hearing, the committee said the hearing will examine “the impact white nationalist groups have on American communities” and what social media companies “can do to stem white nationalist propaganda and hate speech online.”

No participants are listed, but the Washington Post reported that Google and Facebook will testify.

A committee spokesman did not immediately return TPM’s inquiry about what other entities were asked to appear.

The hearing comes weeks after a white supremacist live-streamed his shooting rampage at a pair of New Zealand mosques that left 50 dead. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube struggled to stop copies of the video from spreading like wildfire on their platforms.

Facebook announced last week that it was prohibiting the promotion of white nationalism on its platform; those who search for terms associated with white supremacy will now be directed to a group founded by former extremists aimed at encouraging people to abandon hate groups.

In their press release, the House Judiciary Committee noted that Democratic lawmakers repeatedly pressed the Trump administration for information on this issue during the last Congress but received “little or no substantive response.” Now that they control the House, they’re free to hold hearings on the topic.

In the wake of the New Zealand tragedy, President Trump denied that white nationalism was a growing problem, saying only a “small group of people that have very, very serious problems” hold these beliefs.

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