US President Joe Biden on Thursday called on Congress to get rid of the special immunity enjoyed by social media companies and impose stronger transparency policies on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
The push is part of the White House's new initiative to combat hate-motivated violence in the US, which Mr Biden marked with an event entitled “United We Stand”.
“We're going to use every federal resource available to help communities counter hate-fuelled violence, build resilience and foster greater national unity,” Mr Biden said.
“I'm calling on Congress to do its part … hold social media platforms accountable for spreading hate-fuelled violence.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill into law that aims to force social media companies to be more transparent.
The California law requires tech companies to file semi-annual reports with the state’s attorney general that publicly disclose their content moderation policies regarding hate speech, misinformation and extremism.
But the bill is not without its detractors, with critics saying it has worrying implications for free speech protections.
Scrutiny in the US has grown over the role of social media in fomenting extremism and violence following the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, where far-right supporters of former president Donald Trump sought to overturn the presidential election results.
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'There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonour will remain.' Congresswoman and January 6 committee vice chairwoman Liz Cheney to Republican colleagues who have defended Mr Trump's claims of election fraud. AFP -
'January 6 was the culmination of an attempted coup - a brazen attempt, as one rioter put it shortly after January 6 - to overthrow the government.' Committee chairman Bennie Thompson. EPA -
Mr Trump 'was willing to sacrifice our republic to prolong his presidency. I can imagine no more dishonourable acts by a president.' Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger. AFP -
Donald Trump had this 'arsenal of allegations. I went through them piece by piece to say, no, they were not true'. Former acting deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue. EPA -
'There were no votes to find.' Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after Donald Trump asked him and his deputy, Gabriel Sterling, to 'find 11,780' votes that could flip Georgia in the president's favour. AFP -
Competing against Donald Trump’s lies was like a 'shovel trying to empty the ocean'. Gabriel Sterling, Georgia Secretary of State chief operating officer. AFP -
'As an American, I was disgusted. It was unpatriotic, it was un-American. We were watching the Capitol building get defaced over a lie.' Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, speaking about the insurrection. AFP -
!['I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/RLINK2AWKRFONAWRZ7TNQF6VI4.jpg?smart=true&auth=898bee20e87c352f4801c4275eab58720719d25c3b0343a94bb0b4d88c1d38f4&width=400&height=225)
'I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP -
'I respect attorney general Barr. So, I accepted what he was saying.' Ivanka Trump, former White House senior adviser. AP -
'We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country any more.' Donald Trump on January 6, 2021. Reuters -
A Confederate battle flag that reads 'Come and Take It' and shows a military-style rifle flies as rioters storm the Capitol on January 6, 2001. Reuters -
A Trump supporter sprays smoke. Reuters -
Police attempt to push the mob back. AFP -
The pro-Trump mob swarms the Capitol as police release tear gas. Reuters -
Protesters clash with police. Reuters -
Pro-Trump protesters storm into the US Capitol. Reuters -
A police flash-bang blast lights up the Capitol. Reuters -
Before the insurrection, Mr Trump is seen on a screen speaking to supporters during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results. Reuters -
People march with those who say they are members of the Proud Boys as they attend a rally in Washington in support of former president Donald Trump. AP
!['I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/RLINK2AWKRFONAWRZ7TNQF6VI4.jpg?smart=true&auth=898bee20e87c352f4801c4275eab58720719d25c3b0343a94bb0b4d88c1d38f4&width=800&height=450)
And top US officials told the Senate last year that the greatest domestic threat facing the US came not from foreign terrorist groups but from what they called “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists”, The New York Times reported.
“Our own intelligence agencies in the United States of America have determined that domestic terrorism rooted in white supremacy is the greatest terrorist threat to our homeland today,” Mr Biden said during Thursday's event, where he appeared alongside Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer, who was killed during a 2017 counter-protest against a white supremacist rally in Virginia.
Maga rallies in the US — in pictures
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Supporters of former US president Donald Trump and America First ideology participate in Stop the Steal and Million Maga (Make America Great Again) March protests after the 2020 presidential election was called for Joe Biden. Reuters -
A woman wears a jacket reading 'Maga King' at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas. Reuters -
A new take on the red Maga hat seen at CPAC in Dallas. Reuters -
Mr Trump tosses Maga hats to the crowd as he arrives for a Save America rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio. EPA -
Maga Mall president Ronald Solomon sells merchandise at CPAC. Reuters -
A liberal voter in Georgia said that Trump supporters have made it impossible to ever wear a red hat again. Reuters -
A Trump supporter sells merchandise during the Save America rally at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe, Texas. Getty Images / AFP -
During the 2016 presidential election, it was found that a large portion of Maga merchandise was made in China. Getty Images / AFP -
Texans at the Save America rally earlier this year. Getty Images / AFP -
Despite no evidence of fraud and Joe Biden's certification by Congress, Maga supporters still insist that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Reuters -
Maga supporters in Scottsdale, Arizona, kit out their dogs. Reuters -
People cheer at a Maga rally in Sarasota, Florida. Getty Images / AFP -
The Republican Party of Florida co-sponsored this Maga rally last year. Getty Images / AFP -
A woman wears a red Maga hat in Sarasota. Getty Images / AFP -
For some, Maga isn't just a movement, it is a way of life. Getty Images / AFP -
A Maga supporter speaks during a rally. Getty Images / AFP -
A Trump supporters in Sarasota shows his Maga pride. Getty Images / AFP
In 2020 alone, more than 10,000 people in the US reported being victims of hate crimes due to their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion or disability, the FBI’s annual hate crime statistics report showed. This is the highest number reported in 12 years.
“We must stand together — students, parents, educators, faith leaders, business leaders and law enforcement officials,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at an earlier event marking the initiative.
“And we must clearly say that a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us.
“We are at an inflection point in our history and, indeed, in our democracy.”
Mr Biden this month condemned “Maga Republicans”, or Republicans affiliated with Mr Trump, warning they posed a threat to democracy.
A growing number of Trump-aligned Republicans have run for key positions at the local, state and national level.
