Rep. Moulton Urges Social Media Companies To Assist Riot Probe

SALEM, MA — As rioters ran loose through the U.S. Capitol causing both death and destruction on Wednesday many of them did so without identity-concealing face masks.

Many of them also planned, livestreamed and later boldly posted about their insurgence on social media.

Now U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) wants those social media companies to help law enforcement efforts identify those involved in the attack on the Capitol.

"The domestic terrorists who perpetrated Wednesday's attack may have walked out of the building, but they will not escape justice," Moulton said in a statement. "The technology companies whose platforms were used to plan and broadcast the attack have an obligation to assist the pursuit of justice.

"For too long, these same companies have willingly provided a platform to the extremists, nationalists and conspiracy theorists who showed up on Wednesday. It is too late to prevent this attack, but it's never too late to do the right thing."

The letter is addressed to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey, and others.

"These disillusioned, misled and fanatical Americans brazenly documented their actions online and in advance, with posts across blogging and social media platforms," the letter said. "During the attack, the terrorists who perpetrated it produced self-incriminating evidence in the form of livestreams and photos.

"We are a nation of laws. One of those laws, Section 230, protects you from the liability of their actions, but it does not spare you the responsibility of aiding the investigation of this direct attack on our democracy."

Moulton told Patch in a phone call from Washington D.C. Wednesday night that he was in his office waiting to vote on President-Elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory when the Capitol was breached that afternoon and that some of his colleagues called the chaos that ensued: "the most frightening day of their lives."

"This is violence I expected to see overseas when I was serving in Iraq," Moulton told Patch. "I never expected to see it here at home."

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While Moulton told Patch he believes President Donald Trump is "100 percent responsible" for the attack through his incitement of the rioters — adding that he supports removing the president from office either through impeachment or through use of the 25th Amendment — he said in the letter the social media and blogging platform companies also bear some culpability because their platforms were used to plan and promote the attack.

"All of this is critical evidence of domestic terrorism," Moulton's letter said. "Do not let the political message of these attackers deter you from viewing their actions as anything but a crime. These individuals who stormed the Capitol used your platforms to organize an attack on our seat of government.

"Do your part to bring them to justice."

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