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Date Title Politician
Nov. 8, 2020 South Dakota War College - US Senator John Thune's Weekly Column: Holding Big Tech Accountable Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "Appreciate @Jack working on an idea that was generated from Stephen Wolfram's testimony at a hearing I convened on algorithm transparency in June 2019. "Algorithmic choice" is an idea worth exploring." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "Just look at big tech's public statements, geographic concentration, & employee political donations (normally 80-90% Dem), and it's clear why there's mistrust among Republican users. It's baffling how tech CEOs don't see this absence of ideological diversity as problematic." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "Due to big tech's secrecy around content moderation practices, it's impossible to know for sure if political bias exists, but recent examples of content suppression certainly seem to suggest that it does. Big tech's "explanations" for these examples too often seem like excuses." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "My question: Are Silicon Valley CEOs the legitimate referees of what kind of political speech gets amplified or suppressed? Zuckerberg: I certainly think not, I do not want us to have that role @Jack : No To underscore: tech companies are not the referees over our democracy." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "I asked Mr. Zuckerberg & Mr. Dorsey to provide a complete list of the newspaper articles their companies have suppressed or limited the distribution of over the past five years + an explanation of why they suppressed each article. These companies owe Americans more transparency." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Hearing of the Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on Consumer Transparency and Accountability, Perceived Political Bias Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "The CEOs of @Facebook , @Twitter , and @Google should be ready for some tough questions at the @SenateCommerce hearing today. There needs to be more transparency from big tech on how they decide what content they suppress or promote." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "The Facebook employee who is in charge of election integrity on the platform is a former Biden staffer. And, according to Mr. Zuckerberg, he isn't even aware of it. Is there someone to balance this ideology in a similar election integrity role at his company? **crickets**" Sen. John Thune
Oct. 27, 2020 Tweet - "Tomorrow I'll be questioning leaders of the big tech industry about their online content moderation practices. What would you ask them if you had the opportunity?" Sen. John Thune
Oct. 26, 2020 Thune Joins "Full Court Press" with Greta Van Susteren Sen. John Thune
Oct. 16, 2020 Tweet - "Social media companies act as a filter and create an information bubble for their users. Their algorithms filter info so users see what these platforms want users to see. This is a big problem. These companies have to be accountable." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 15, 2020 Tweet - "Americans deserve to know what content moderation policies are used by tech platforms when they suppress or amplify content. The New York Post story is a good example. Transparency in these decisions is a matter of accountability to the American people." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 15, 2020 Thune Joins Fox News's Neil Cavuto to Discuss Social Media Censorship Sen. John Thune
Oct. 7, 2020 Wicker, Thune, Walden, Guthrie, Latta Lead Bill to Open Mid-Band Spectrum for Commercial Use Sen. John Thune, ...
Oct. 2, 2020 Rounds, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Health Care Providers Continue Delivering Telehealth Services to Rural America Sen. Mike Rounds, ...
Oct. 1, 2020 U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Mike Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Health Care Providers Continue Delivering Telehealth Services to Rural America Sen. Mike Rounds, ...
Oct. 1, 2020 Tweet - "We must confront the lack of transparency on tech platforms. I voted to authorize subpoenas to CEOs of Google/Facebook/Twitter to get answers about their companies' practices. Issues around online privacy & content moderation have been crying out for solutions for a long time." Sen. John Thune
Oct. 1, 2020 Thune Statement on Commerce Committee's Decision to Authorize Subpoenas to Tech CEOs Sen. John Thune
Sept. 30, 2020 Tweet - "We just wrote to POTUS to commend him on his success empowering the private sector to build multiple 5G networks & cautioning him against attempts to create a singular nationalized network. Secure 5G will be vital to national security & a singular network is easier to compromise." Sen. John Thune
Sept. 30, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Donald Trump, President of the United States - Thune, Colleagues Urge President Trump to Bolster Private-Sector Deployment of 5G Sen. John Thune, ...
Sept. 29, 2020 Rounds, Thune, Johnson: Army Corps Announces Major Step Toward Implementation of Snowpack Monitoring System Rep. Dusty Johnson, ...
Sept. 24, 2020 What They're Saying: Conaway Leads Introduction of Digital Commodity Legislation Rep. Dusty Johnson, ...
Sept. 24, 2020 Tweet - "Polarization in our country is at an all-time high. Tech platforms (Google/Facebook/etc) filter online content so Americans see info that echoes & reinforces their own opinions. The result is that many can't even fathom that reasonable people may have a different point of view." Sen. John Thune
Sept. 24, 2020 Hearing of the Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on Public Safety Broadband Network, Including Testimony From South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer Sen. John Thune
Sept. 24, 2020 Tweet - "Visitors might escape to SD's Black Hills to unplug from tech. But if an emergency occurs, reliable communications -- even in these beautiful, remote places -- is a top priority. Congress created FirstNet to improve communications services for our country's emergency personnel." Sen. John Thune
Sept. 22, 2020 Tweet - "Had a quick cameo in @SocialDilemma_ at our hearing on persuasive tech. Tech platforms treating people as products & sowing polarization has been a concern of mine. @TristanHarris 's testimony was shocking. Since then, I've intro'd multiple bills on online privacy & transparency." Sen. John Thune
Sept. 17, 2020 Tweet - "Americans should have more control over their own personal data. It shouldn't be a mystery how companies collect & use our personal info. @SenatorWicker @SenatorFischer @MarshaBlackburn & I intro'd a bill to increase data transparency.#SAFEDATAAct" Sen. John Thune
Sept. 17, 2020 Wicker, Thune, Fischer, Blackburn Introduce Consumer Data Privacy Legislation Sen. John Thune, ...
Sept. 16, 2020 Thune, Moran, Young Bill to Update E-Sign Clears Key Senate Hurdle Sen. John Thune, ...
Sept. 10, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, the Hon. Mac Thornberry, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Hon. James Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Hon. Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee - Barrasso Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Calling for the USE IT Act in NDAA Sen. Mike Rounds, ...
Sept. 6, 2020 South Dakota War College - US Senator John Thune's Weekly Column: Staying on Course to Advance Self-Driving Vehicles Sen. John Thune
Sept. 4, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Robert Wilkie, Secretary of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs - Tester Presses VA to Provide Coverage for Telehealth Services for Family Members During COVID-19 Pandemic Sen. Mike Rounds, ...
Sept. 3, 2020 Tweet - "Any #AV policy must ensure 3 things: 1. preserve roles of federal & state regulators 2. build on @NHTSAgov 's efforts to update regulations not written with AVs in mind 3. enhance NHTSA's ability to expand testing & grant exemptions if existing regulations block safety innovations" Sen. John Thune
Sept. 3, 2020 Tweet - "Automated vehicles have the potential to drastically improve safety on America's roads. I was glad to be a part of @USDOT @SecElaineChao 's launch of the AV TEST initiative. America should be leading the way to harness the safety & economic benefits of this emerging technology." Sen. John Thune
Aug. 13, 2020 Letter to The Hon. Joseph Simons, Chairmen Federal Change revolution - Sens. Moran, Thune Call on Ftc to Investigate Tik Tok's Consumer Data Collection & Processing Practices Sen. John Thune, ...
Aug. 13, 2020 Tweet - "Americans need answers related to serious allegations about how @tiktok_us reportedly collected personal data from millions of Americans w/o any disclosure. @JerryMoran and I sent a letter to the @FTC urging them to investigate the company's practices." Sen. John Thune
Aug. 12, 2020 Tweet - "Great news for the race to 5G. Streamlining 5G small cells has long been a priority of mine, so I'm glad to see the FCC's decision upheld." Sen. John Thune
July 31, 2020 The Work Goes On Sen. John Thune
July 30, 2020 Rep. Johnson Announces Congressional App Challenge Rep. Dusty Johnson
July 29, 2020 Tweet - "Big tech has a strong incentive to exercise control over the content on their sites. They use sophisticated content moderation tools & algorithms to shape the content we see, and yet we're given little or no info on how that information we see has been shaped & censored." Sen. John Thune
July 29, 2020 Tweet - "The internet of 1996 is a far cry from the internet of 2020, and it's important to re-evaluate 1996's Section 230 internet protections within today's context. My #PACTAct would enable greater transparency for users w/o damaging the entrepreneurial benefits of current protections." Sen. John Thune
July 28, 2020 Tweet - "For each of us, our social media feeds are tailored to our individual interests/patterns. We are not experiencing a "neutral platform" as internet platforms claimed for so long. Users should be given more info on the secret algorithms internet platforms use to keep users engaged." Sen. John Thune
July 28, 2020 Tweet - "Sweeping protections for large tech companies under Section 230 have meant that -- with very few exceptions -- internet platforms are not held responsible for the comments, pictures, & videos that their users post -- no matter how harmful. It's time to re-examine these protections." Sen. John Thune
July 28, 2020 Tweet - "For years, internet platforms concealed how they monitor & curate content -- in part to sustain the fiction of being a "neutral platform" for all ideas. To this day, content moderation is largely a black box spurring suspicion of bias & discrimination." Sen. John Thune
July 28, 2020 Hearing of the Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on the PACT Act and Section 230: The Impact of the Law that Helped Create the Internet and an Examination of Proposed Reforms for Today's Online World Sen. John Thune
July 23, 2020 Spanberger, Johnson Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Fund FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program, Continue Delivery of Critical Healthcare Services to Rural Communities Rep. Dusty Johnson, ...
July 22, 2020 Tweet - "A few of my priorities in this next phase of federal #COVID relief: -More relief for struggling Americans -Funding for impacted farmers & ranchers -Protection from surprise state taxes for #COVID relief & mobile/remote workers -Telehealth -Liability protections for schools & biz" Sen. John Thune
July 21, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission - 41 Lawmakers Call on FCC to Strengthen Support for Telehealth Providers During Pandemic & Beyond Rep. Dusty Johnson, ...
July 16, 2020 Thune and Markey Applaud FCC TRACED Act Mandate Sen. John Thune, ...
Date Title Politician
Nov. 8, 2020 South Dakota War College - US Senator John Thune's Weekly Column: Holding Big Tech Accountable Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "Appreciate @Jack working on an idea that was generated from Stephen Wolfram's testimony at a hearing I convened on algorithm transparency in June 2019. "Algorithmic choice" is an idea worth exploring." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "Just look at big tech's public statements, geographic concentration, & employee political donations (normally 80-90% Dem), and it's clear why there's mistrust among Republican users. It's baffling how tech CEOs don't see this absence of ideological diversity as problematic." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "Due to big tech's secrecy around content moderation practices, it's impossible to know for sure if political bias exists, but recent examples of content suppression certainly seem to suggest that it does. Big tech's "explanations" for these examples too often seem like excuses." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "My question: Are Silicon Valley CEOs the legitimate referees of what kind of political speech gets amplified or suppressed? Zuckerberg: I certainly think not, I do not want us to have that role @Jack : No To underscore: tech companies are not the referees over our democracy." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "I asked Mr. Zuckerberg & Mr. Dorsey to provide a complete list of the newspaper articles their companies have suppressed or limited the distribution of over the past five years + an explanation of why they suppressed each article. These companies owe Americans more transparency." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Hearing of the Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on Consumer Transparency and Accountability, Perceived Political Bias Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "The CEOs of @Facebook , @Twitter , and @Google should be ready for some tough questions at the @SenateCommerce hearing today. There needs to be more transparency from big tech on how they decide what content they suppress or promote." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 28, 2020 Tweet - "The Facebook employee who is in charge of election integrity on the platform is a former Biden staffer. And, according to Mr. Zuckerberg, he isn't even aware of it. Is there someone to balance this ideology in a similar election integrity role at his company? **crickets**" Sen.John Thune
Oct. 27, 2020 Tweet - "Tomorrow I'll be questioning leaders of the big tech industry about their online content moderation practices. What would you ask them if you had the opportunity?" Sen.John Thune
Oct. 26, 2020 Thune Joins "Full Court Press" with Greta Van Susteren Sen.John Thune
Oct. 16, 2020 Tweet - "Social media companies act as a filter and create an information bubble for their users. Their algorithms filter info so users see what these platforms want users to see. This is a big problem. These companies have to be accountable." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 15, 2020 Tweet - "Americans deserve to know what content moderation policies are used by tech platforms when they suppress or amplify content. The New York Post story is a good example. Transparency in these decisions is a matter of accountability to the American people." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 15, 2020 Thune Joins Fox News's Neil Cavuto to Discuss Social Media Censorship Sen.John Thune
Oct. 7, 2020 Wicker, Thune, Walden, Guthrie, Latta Lead Bill to Open Mid-Band Spectrum for Commercial Use Sen.John Thune, ...
Oct. 2, 2020 Rounds, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Health Care Providers Continue Delivering Telehealth Services to Rural America Sen.Mike Rounds, ...
Oct. 1, 2020 U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Mike Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Health Care Providers Continue Delivering Telehealth Services to Rural America Sen.Mike Rounds, ...
Oct. 1, 2020 Tweet - "We must confront the lack of transparency on tech platforms. I voted to authorize subpoenas to CEOs of Google/Facebook/Twitter to get answers about their companies' practices. Issues around online privacy & content moderation have been crying out for solutions for a long time." Sen.John Thune
Oct. 1, 2020 Thune Statement on Commerce Committee's Decision to Authorize Subpoenas to Tech CEOs Sen.John Thune
Sept. 30, 2020 Tweet - "We just wrote to POTUS to commend him on his success empowering the private sector to build multiple 5G networks & cautioning him against attempts to create a singular nationalized network. Secure 5G will be vital to national security & a singular network is easier to compromise." Sen.John Thune
Sept. 30, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Donald Trump, President of the United States - Thune, Colleagues Urge President Trump to Bolster Private-Sector Deployment of 5G Sen.John Thune, ...
Sept. 29, 2020 Rounds, Thune, Johnson: Army Corps Announces Major Step Toward Implementation of Snowpack Monitoring System Rep.Dusty Johnson, ...
Sept. 24, 2020 What They're Saying: Conaway Leads Introduction of Digital Commodity Legislation Rep.Dusty Johnson, ...
Sept. 24, 2020 Tweet - "Polarization in our country is at an all-time high. Tech platforms (Google/Facebook/etc) filter online content so Americans see info that echoes & reinforces their own opinions. The result is that many can't even fathom that reasonable people may have a different point of view." Sen.John Thune
Sept. 24, 2020 Hearing of the Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on Public Safety Broadband Network, Including Testimony From South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer Sen.John Thune
Sept. 24, 2020 Tweet - "Visitors might escape to SD's Black Hills to unplug from tech. But if an emergency occurs, reliable communications -- even in these beautiful, remote places -- is a top priority. Congress created FirstNet to improve communications services for our country's emergency personnel." Sen.John Thune
Sept. 22, 2020 Tweet - "Had a quick cameo in @SocialDilemma_ at our hearing on persuasive tech. Tech platforms treating people as products & sowing polarization has been a concern of mine. @TristanHarris 's testimony was shocking. Since then, I've intro'd multiple bills on online privacy & transparency." Sen.John Thune
Sept. 17, 2020 Tweet - "Americans should have more control over their own personal data. It shouldn't be a mystery how companies collect & use our personal info. @SenatorWicker @SenatorFischer @MarshaBlackburn & I intro'd a bill to increase data transparency.#SAFEDATAAct" Sen.John Thune
Sept. 17, 2020 Wicker, Thune, Fischer, Blackburn Introduce Consumer Data Privacy Legislation Sen.John Thune, ...
Sept. 16, 2020 Thune, Moran, Young Bill to Update E-Sign Clears Key Senate Hurdle Sen.John Thune, ...
Sept. 10, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, the Hon. Mac Thornberry, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Hon. James Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Hon. Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee - Barrasso Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Calling for the USE IT Act in NDAA Sen.Mike Rounds, ...
Sept. 6, 2020 South Dakota War College - US Senator John Thune's Weekly Column: Staying on Course to Advance Self-Driving Vehicles Sen.John Thune
Sept. 4, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Robert Wilkie, Secretary of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs - Tester Presses VA to Provide Coverage for Telehealth Services for Family Members During COVID-19 Pandemic Sen.Mike Rounds, ...
Sept. 3, 2020 Tweet - "Any #AV policy must ensure 3 things: 1. preserve roles of federal & state regulators 2. build on @NHTSAgov 's efforts to update regulations not written with AVs in mind 3. enhance NHTSA's ability to expand testing & grant exemptions if existing regulations block safety innovations" Sen.John Thune
Sept. 3, 2020 Tweet - "Automated vehicles have the potential to drastically improve safety on America's roads. I was glad to be a part of @USDOT @SecElaineChao 's launch of the AV TEST initiative. America should be leading the way to harness the safety & economic benefits of this emerging technology." Sen.John Thune
Aug. 13, 2020 Letter to The Hon. Joseph Simons, Chairmen Federal Change revolution - Sens. Moran, Thune Call on Ftc to Investigate Tik Tok's Consumer Data Collection & Processing Practices Sen.John Thune, ...
Aug. 13, 2020 Tweet - "Americans need answers related to serious allegations about how @tiktok_us reportedly collected personal data from millions of Americans w/o any disclosure. @JerryMoran and I sent a letter to the @FTC urging them to investigate the company's practices." Sen.John Thune
Aug. 12, 2020 Tweet - "Great news for the race to 5G. Streamlining 5G small cells has long been a priority of mine, so I'm glad to see the FCC's decision upheld." Sen.John Thune
July 31, 2020 The Work Goes On Sen.John Thune
July 30, 2020 Rep. Johnson Announces Congressional App Challenge Rep.Dusty Johnson
July 29, 2020 Tweet - "Big tech has a strong incentive to exercise control over the content on their sites. They use sophisticated content moderation tools & algorithms to shape the content we see, and yet we're given little or no info on how that information we see has been shaped & censored." Sen.John Thune
July 29, 2020 Tweet - "The internet of 1996 is a far cry from the internet of 2020, and it's important to re-evaluate 1996's Section 230 internet protections within today's context. My #PACTAct would enable greater transparency for users w/o damaging the entrepreneurial benefits of current protections." Sen.John Thune
July 28, 2020 Tweet - "For each of us, our social media feeds are tailored to our individual interests/patterns. We are not experiencing a "neutral platform" as internet platforms claimed for so long. Users should be given more info on the secret algorithms internet platforms use to keep users engaged." Sen.John Thune
July 28, 2020 Tweet - "Sweeping protections for large tech companies under Section 230 have meant that -- with very few exceptions -- internet platforms are not held responsible for the comments, pictures, & videos that their users post -- no matter how harmful. It's time to re-examine these protections." Sen.John Thune
July 28, 2020 Tweet - "For years, internet platforms concealed how they monitor & curate content -- in part to sustain the fiction of being a "neutral platform" for all ideas. To this day, content moderation is largely a black box spurring suspicion of bias & discrimination." Sen.John Thune
July 28, 2020 Hearing of the Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on the PACT Act and Section 230: The Impact of the Law that Helped Create the Internet and an Examination of Proposed Reforms for Today's Online World Sen.John Thune
July 23, 2020 Spanberger, Johnson Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Fund FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program, Continue Delivery of Critical Healthcare Services to Rural Communities Rep.Dusty Johnson, ...
July 22, 2020 Tweet - "A few of my priorities in this next phase of federal #COVID relief: -More relief for struggling Americans -Funding for impacted farmers & ranchers -Protection from surprise state taxes for #COVID relief & mobile/remote workers -Telehealth -Liability protections for schools & biz" Sen.John Thune
July 21, 2020 Letter to the Hon. Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission - 41 Lawmakers Call on FCC to Strengthen Support for Telehealth Providers During Pandemic & Beyond Rep.Dusty Johnson, ...
July 16, 2020 Thune and Markey Applaud FCC TRACED Act Mandate Sen.John Thune, ...
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