Conservatives question Congress's role in Facebook probe

A handful of conservatives are expressing displeasure after a Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) began digging into allegations of bias in Facebook's "Trending Topics" feature. Many Republicans were concerned about reports that contractors who worked on the feature excluded some topics or stories from conservative outlets unless more mainstream organizations picked them up, which the company has denied.

But a number of conservatives said it is not the government’s job to get involved after Chairman Thune sent a letter to the company asking questions. Washington Examiner managing editor Philip Klein called Thune’s letter a “ridiculous move.” Former GOP congressman-turned-radio host Joe Walsh said it is obvious Facebook has liberal bias but warned: “Conservatives don’t get government involved. That’s not what we believe.” National Review writer Charles C.W. Cooke published a post titled, “The Senate should leave Facebook alone.” The article referenced the failings of the now-repealed “fairness doctrine,” which gave authority to the Federal Communication Commission to require broadcasters to cover issues of national importance in a balanced way. Chairman Thune, who also holds a Republican leadership role in the Senate, said the letter was not meant to suggest anything “untoward” on the part of Facebook. “Part of the jurisdiction of our committee is consumer protection, so we think it’s a perfectly legitimate line of inquiry,” Chairman Thune said.