This system, they contend, was not merely a passive conduit but was instrumental in relaying information that was ultimately suppressed by social media outlets. Astonishingly, CIS is alleged to have revealed that a striking 61% of cases funneled through this pipeline were either extinguished or labeled as misinformation.

The Republican inquisitors are zeroing in on whether the US government’s muscle was surreptitiously flexed to pressure social media platforms into submission. This, they imply, may have been a gambit to manipulate the information landscape during a politically charged season.