The select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed four social media companies.
The companies include:
- Alphabet (Parent company of Google & YouTube)
- Meta (Formerly known as Facebook)
- Twitter
Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson said the committee is demanding records relating to the "spread of misinformation, efforts to overturn the 2020 election, domestic violent extremism, and foreign influence in the 2020 election."
Thompson said the committee wants to know what steps, if any, the social media companies took steps to prevent people from being "radicalized."
"It’s disappointing that after months of engagement, we still do not have the documents and information necessary to answer those basic questions," Thompson said.
Thompson claims Alphabet's YouTube platform was used to spread information about the planning and execution of the attacks.
Thompson adds that people used Meta, Reddit and Twitter to spread misinformation and engage in discussions about the attacks.
The committee appears to be dramatically ramping up its investigation.
On Wednesday, it requested to speak with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. He said he would not comply with the request.
