Top states say they haven't been invited to the Justice Dept.'s meeting about tech companies

[highplainsdem]

Source: WaPo

Democratic attorneys general from key states said they have not yet been invited by the Justice Department to its upcoming review of tech companies, prompting criticism that the Trump administration's inquiry is a politically charged attack on the tech industry.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions first announced on Wednesday that he was gathering state attorneys general to examine whether companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter are “intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas” online. The goal of the meeting, the Justice Department said in a statement at the time, is to follow up on a hearing that had just taken place on Capitol Hill with Facebook and Twitter and consult with "a number" of states to figure out if Silicon Valley's conduct is "hurting competition." The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 25 in Washington.

Democratic attorneys general from California and New York — two tech hubs — as well as officials from Connecticut and Washington, which are active on issues related to technology, consumer protection and antitrust, so far have not been invited, representatives for each state confirmed this week.

The Democratic Attorneys General Association said it "had not heard any Democratic attorneys general [are] invited" as of Friday morning, according to communications director Lizzie Ulmer.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/09/07/top-states-say-they-havent-been-invited-justice-departments-meeting-about-tech-companies/

[Andy823]

1. Well I guess

They are not really interested in being "fair" about who they talk with. As long a it's all republicans, they can make up their own "facts" to of course prove how unfair everyone is to the poor conservatives who we all know are bing picked on!

[PSPS]

2. "intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas" means properly stifling putin's propaganda

That's why the GOP is "upset."

[Midnight Writer]

3. Let's talk "witch hunt". So Fox News is fair and balanced, talk radio is not biased, but the Net?

Since when is a private company required by law to be unbiased? What business is it of the Federal Government if a website does not conform to the current Administration's agenda, as long as they are not fomenting violence or treason?

1st Amendment advocates need to get organised and stand up just as strong as 2nd Amendment advocates.

[Achilleaze]

4. The United KGOP republican fascists tightening their grip

If Americans do not take the House from the KGOP, the fascist grip will get tighter and tighter and tighter.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. First of all, stifling of the free exchange of ideas isn't occurring. You need to just look...

in the right place. Besides, what in the hell does the government know of the free interexchange of ideas? Do these people even know what an idea is even? Sounds like to me that they (rump and folks) want to try and steal ideas from the tech area...remember, rump built towers (what few he could get away w/), and the the tech industry in the meantime wiped out the demand for retail space by the gazillions of square feet by allowing a digital marketplace vs. an actual physical location.

So there is an ulterior motive and revenge here...rump, a real estate developer, probably getting wiped out in the real estate market (look at rump's son-in-law w/ their huge debt on their fiasco of a tower). The only thing saving him is the pump and dump that he's got set up now while he's in the WH. Talk about massive conflict of interest...

[meadowlander]

7. This is about Facebook and Twitter banning Russian bots.

It's the government trying to put pressure on social media companies to stop trying to reform and police themselves for propaganda.

[Jake Stern]

6. This is why, IMO, social media companies need to go offshore

Preferably to a country that isn't beholden to the US such as New Zealand, Luxembourg or Switzerland. That way Trump and his goons can't do shit.

[riversedge]

8. Seems the US is no longer a democracy in the Trump era. damn.