[Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) faces tough questioning from CNN’s Manu Raju on Meta Platforms’ plan to handle misinformation on their platforms, and how Replublicans should be holding them accountable for allowing it to spread.
Raju: “You’ve been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s approach to disinformation. But don’t you think that Meta, as a private company, has a responsibility to take down misinformation and dis-credited doctors and other false flags like anti-vaccination propaganda that’s putting people’s lives at risk? Do you think they have a responsibility to – ”
Kennedy: “Well, Manu, I think Meta has a significant responsibility here. They have a platform that has 2.7 billion people on it. They have a responsibility to ensure that the information on that platform is accurate, is trustworthy, and doesn’t cause harm to people. That’s a responsibility that comes with that kind of power and influence.
But, Manu, I think we should be careful not to assume that the solution to all of these problems is just to have the government take over. That’s not the – that’s not the answer. I think what we need is more transparency from Meta, more accountability from Meta, and I think we need to have a more balanced approach to this that makes sure we’re not infringing on people’s First Amendment rights while also keeping the platform safe.
And let me tell you, I think the best way to do that is to empower the platforms’ own fact-checking mechanisms, to work with fact-checkers, to – to test the facts, to verify the facts, and to make sure that the information that’s being shared on those platforms is accurate and trustworthy. And I think that’s a place where we can work together, in a bipartisan way, to find a solution – ”
Raju: “Well, but, Senator, isn’t that just putting too much responsibility on the Meta Platforms’ plan, rather than on government? Why isn’t- shouldn’t we be having regulations on these platforms? We’ve seen what can happen when there’s no oversight at all, like with the Jan 6th insurrection – ”
Kennedy: “Well, Manu, I think what you’re forgetting is that we’ve already – we’ve already had a number of regulations put in place, and we should – we should always be open to more regulations, more oversight. But, we also have to be careful not to over-correct. We have to strike the right balance.
And let me tell you, I don’t think that puts too much responsibility on the – on the platform. I think it puts the – it puts the responsibility where it should be, which is on those who created – who created the platforms, who created the algorithms that are spreading misinformation. And I think that’s where we should focus our efforts, rather than just rushing to regulate without a thought out plan, without a clear sense of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
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