‘Jawboning’ Debate Resumes over Big Tech and Government Power

Both parties pointed at the other for coercing online platforms.

‘Jawboning’ Debate Resumes over Big Tech and Government Power
Screenshot of Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., at the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on Oct. 29, 2025

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2025 – Senators grilled Google and Meta over the Biden administration’s pressure to curb online speech.

The session marked Part II of the Commerce Committee’s “Shut Your App” hearings on government influence over content moderation.

Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, opened the Senate Commerce hearing Wednesday by accusing the Biden administration of “jawboning Big Tech into deleting tweets, down-ranking posts, and de-platforming conservatives under the guise of safety and national security.” He said the companies “censored regular citizens” and failed to defend the First Amendment when the government pushed them to remove content.

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