Coons considering hauling in Facebook, Twitter CEOs for hearing

“We held hearings in the full committee last year that included one — particularly, famously — [with] Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg from Twitter and Facebook, and I think there’s reason for us to ask them to come before us again,” he said in an interview.

Coons said his hearing plans aren’t final and that discussions with his Republican counterpart, ranking member Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, about the scope of the sessions are ongoing.

Spokespeople for Twitter and Facebook declined to comment.

Under GOP control last Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to authorize subpoenas to compel Dorsey and Zuckerberg to testify about allegations of anti-conservative bias online. Dorsey and Zuckerberg later agreed to appear voluntarily.

A broad look into social media: During the interview, Coons said his agenda will also focus on how algorithms amplify misinformation online and how to combat extremism on the internet.

“I think we’ll look at the dynamics of social media and I think we’ll look at the intersection between privacy, civil liberties and civil rights in the digital context,” he said.

A possible preview: Zuckerberg and Dorsey are separately slated to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee next Thursday at a session expected to focus on online misinformation.