U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has announced a full committee hearing scheduled for October 8, 2025. The hearing is titled “Shut Your App: How Uncle Sam Jawboned Big Tech Into Silencing Americans” and will address claims that government agencies have pressured technology companies to censor speech protected by the First Amendment, a practice referred to as “jawboning.”
The hearing will focus on issues raised in Senator Cruz’s recent report concerning actions by the Biden administration’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). According to the report, CISA allegedly influenced social media companies to suppress content from individuals who expressed views differing from those of the administration. The report asserts that CISA received little resistance from both the tech industry and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, which allowed these practices to continue without accountability.
Senator Cruz stated: “The First Amendment is the bedrock of this country, and we have an obligation to defend it. My recently released report on CISA reveals how the Biden administration threatened the First Amendment by pressuring Big Tech companies to censor lawful speech, disproportionately affecting conservative voices. It is dangerous for the government to abuse its authority and act as the speech police. No free society, built on an informed citizenry and public discourse, can thrive when government censors lawful speech and sets itself up as the arbiter of truth. With growing bipartisan interest in protecting free speech, I am increasingly hopeful Congress can advance legislation to stop government jawboning and safeguard every American’s right to free speech.”
The committee plans to discuss possible legislative measures aimed at preventing similar government actions related to artificial intelligence platforms in the future.
Scheduled witnesses include Eugene Volokh, Senior Fellow at Hoover Institute and Gary T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at UCLA; Alex Berenson, independent journalist and author; and Sean Davis, CEO of The Federalist. Additional witnesses may be announced later.
The hearing will take place in Russell 253 at 10:00 AM EST and will be livestreamed on both the Committee website and YouTube channels. Members of the media are encouraged to RSVP through their respective Senate press galleries for attendance.
