Twitter blocks Jan 6 committee’s request for company’s internal Slack messages

Panel members believe messages can help them show how online extremism boosted violence and chaos on day of insurrection

Three people with knowledge of the situation tell Rolling Stone that Twitter is fighting a committee request made on Jan. 6 for its employees' internal communications, including Slack messages about moderating Tweets related to the Capitol attack.

In response to the panel's request for communications about moderating tweets related to the Capitol insurrection, the social media giant is claiming a First Amendment privilege.

They say that Twitter's response has caused consternation among committee members who believe that the internal communications would help them paint a more accurate picture of how online MAGA extremism contributed to today's violence and mayhem.. When asked for internal communications, the company raises questions about the balance between freedom of expression and government authority in investigating an attempt to destabilise the democratic system of government. Furthermore, it demonstrates just how far Congressional investigators have gone in the run-up to their televised hearings, which begin this week, in their search for information.

It didn't say anything about this specific dispute, but Twitter did say that it has been "engaged with the Select Committee on a regular, productive basis since last year and has provided appropriate, relevant information to contribute to this important investigation" and that it is "committed to continuing this work with the Select Committee."

According to the company's statement, it takes "a principled approach to responding to requests for information from governments, and will continue to closely evaluate the merits of each request in order to protect the rights of the people who use our service, as well as the rights of Twitter and its employees."

There was no response from a Jan. 6 committee spokesman to a request for comment

Two "key questions" were set forth for discussion in January, one of which asked "what steps (if any) social media companies took to prevent their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalization to violence?" To understand how Twitter handled insurrection-related content, the committee requested the Slack messages, but Twitter claims that providing such granular-level deliberative data breaches its constitutional rights.

Following Twitter's assertion of First Amendment privilege, it's unclear whether or how far the House select committee investigating the Capitol assault intends to press the issue. As a Harvard Law School lecturer and senior research fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute, Evelyn Douek has a unique perspective on this issue.

"It's a very difficult problem. How should we view these private companies' right to make systemically important public interest decisions? Which can we put our faith in less: corporations or the federal government?

A committee spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on Jan. 6

"What steps (if any) have social media companies taken to prevent their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalization to violence?" was one of two "key questions" put forth in discussion in January. The committee requested Slack messages to learn how Twitter handled insurrection-related content, but Twitter claims that providing such granular-level deliberative data breaches its constitutional rights.

In light of Twitter's assertion of First Amendment privilege, it's unclear whether or how far the House select committee looking into the Capitol assault intends to press the issue. Evelyn Douek, a senior research fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute and a Harvard Law School lecturer, has a unique perspective on the issue.

A difficult problem, to be sure. Is it appropriate for these private corporations to make systemically significant public interest decisions? We should trust corporations more than the federal government.

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