U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz has released an investigative report that alleges the Biden administration directed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to pressure technology companies into moderating online speech. The report claims CISA exceeded its mandate by creating internal mechanisms to monitor and flag content on social media platforms, particularly targeting viewpoints not aligned with the previous administration.
According to the findings, CISA encountered minimal resistance from both major technology firms and oversight bodies such as the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. This lack of opposition allowed the agency to continue its activities without significant accountability measures.
Senator Cruz commented on the investigation's results:
“Our report shows that the Biden administration used CISA to strong arm social media companies into taking action against speech protected by the First Amendment. For the past decade, I’ve led the fight against government censorship, whether it’s CISA or the FCC or the Biden White House. Inevitably, these tactics have been and will be disproportionately used to silence conservatives. Given renewed Democrat interest in the First Amendment, I’m slightly more optimistic that Congress can pass legislation to stop government from using this left-wing playbook to jawbone private companies to censure speech, especially in the age of artificial intelligence.”
The report also highlights concerns about future risks related to artificial intelligence. Senator Cruz cautions lawmakers that as new AI regulations are considered, they should take into account lessons learned from what he describes as CISA’s unchecked influence over online discourse.
The full investigative report is available for public review.
