James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, told Newsmax on Thursday about the invitation he extended to CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify on how their platforms might be contributing to online radicalization, citing the case of conservative leader Charlie Kirk's accused assassin.
"We have a lot of questions for the CEOs," Comer told "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "There's a pattern that's developed where a lot of the younger criminals who have committed some of the most high-profile crimes we've seen over the last three months have all been communicating on these platforms."
The Oct. 8 hearing comes as investigators continue examining the background of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with assassinating Kirk last week in Utah. Court documents and media reports allege Robinson spent significant time on Discord, an online chat app popular among gamers but also used by extremist communities. He is accused of posting messages about weapons and making violent threats in the weeks before Kirk's killing.
Comer emphasized that the goal of the hearing is not to restrict legitimate online expression but to probe whether these platforms have become "breeding grounds for bad behavior and criminal activity." He noted that although Democrats are framing the hearing as an attempt to curtail free speech, the focus will be on criminal content such as child pornography or violent conspiracies, which are not protected speech.
"We respect free speech," Comer said. "But at the same time, there are types of speech that aren't allowable. … We need to bring these CEOs in and determine whether or not these are breeding grounds for bad behavior and criminal activity."
The hearing reportedly is expected to be one of the most closely watched sessions of Comer's committee this fall, as lawmakers grapple with how online communities intersect with threats of violence in the real world.
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