Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is sparring with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey over the social media platform’s warnings surrounding tweets about voter fraud.
During Tuesday’s hearing with the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter, Cruz asked Dorsey, “Does voter fraud exist?”
He replied, “I don’t know for certain.”
Cruz continued, “Are you an expert on voter fraud?”
Dorsey answered, “No, I’m not.”
Cruz went on, “Why then is Twitter right now putting purported warnings on virtually any statement about voter fraud.”
“We’re simply linking to a broader conversation so that people have more information,” Dorsey explained.
“No, you’re not. You put up a page that says, ‘Voter fraud of any kind is exceedingly rare in the United States.’ That’s not linking to a broader conversation. That’s taking a disputed policy position, and you’re a publisher when you’re doing that,” Cruz argued.
Watch the exchange below:
.@tedcruz to Dorsey: “Are you an expert in voter fraud?”
— Mona Salama (@ByMonaSalama) November 17, 2020
Dorsey: “No, Im not”
Cruz: “Why is Twitter right now putting purported warnings on virtually any statement about voter fraud…”
“You don't get to pretend you're not a publisher & get a special benefit under Section 230” pic.twitter.com/nPHLzTQoO1
Cruz told Dorsey he is “entitled” to take a policy position but, “You don’t get to pretend you’re not a publisher and get a special benefit under Section 230.”
Twitter has labeled some of President Donald Trump’s tweets about election fraud “disputed.”
“THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!” Trump wrote in one of his flagged tweets.
THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020
Both Twitter and Facebook flagged posts issued by Trump officials after they falsely declared victory in Pennsylvania, as IJR previously reported.
“VICTORY for President [Donald Trump] in PENNSYLVANIA!!” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany wrote.
The Twitter flag read, “Official sources may not have called the race when this was Tweeted.”
VICTORY for President @realDonaldTrump in PENNSYLVANIA ‼️
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) November 4, 2020
Trump has refused to concede the election on the basis of unsubstantiated widespread voter fraud allegations.
