Facebook will not testify at U.S. House hearing on social media

Thomson Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said Wednesday it has declined an invitation to testify at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing Thursday on filtering practices by social media companies, a company spokesman said.

The company said that even though it will not appear, it looks "forward to a continuing dialogue with members of the committee about Facebook’s strong commitment to being a platform for all voices and ideas."

Alphabet Inc and Twitter Inc have also been invited to testify at the House Judiciary Committee hearing, but have not said whether they will appear. Some Republicans have criticized social media companies for censoring some conservative viewpoints, a charge the firms have denied.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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