The White House declined to comment on Monday on billionaire Elon Musk’s deal to buy Twitter, but said President Joe Biden had repeatedly expressed concern about the power of social media platforms.
“Our concern is not new,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, adding that these platforms need to be accounted for.
“The president has long spoken of his concern about the power of social media platforms, including Twitter and others, to spread misinformation,” she said.
But she added, however, that the White House would not comment on an individual deal.
Psaki said that the White House continues to work to repeal Law 230 that protects Internet companies from accountability for content posted by users, and supports tougher transparency and antitrust measures against technology companies.
Biden administration officials believe that tighter scrutiny may prevent the spread of misinformation related to political issues and those related to the Covid-19 epidemic.
“We’re communicating regularly with all social media platforms about steps that can be taken in this regard,” Psaki said. “This communication is ongoing and I’m sure it will. But there are reforms that we think Congress can make.”
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