Sen. Cruz Calls on USTR to Eliminate Inclusion of Special Protections for Big Tech in U.S. Trade Deals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on The Constitution, today sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, urging him to remove language in U.S. trade agreements similar to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides “near -blanket legal immunity” to technology companies.

In the above article, Sen. Cruz said the following:

As Sen. Cruz, who is leading efforts in the Senate to hold Big Tech accountable, has repeatedly explained, companies such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Google continue to use the special privileges granted in Section 230 to censor the speech of law-abiding citizens with whom they disagree.

Sen. Cruz Pens Letter to DOJ Demanding Investigation into Twitter for Potential Violation of Sanctions on Iran

Source: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) penned a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin demanding an investigation into Twitter for alleged criminal violations. Sen. Cruz argues that the social media giant is in violation of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Executive Order 13876 (EO 13876) as related to sanctions on Iran.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) penned a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin demanding an investigation into Twitter for alleged criminal violations. Sen. Cruz argues that the social media giant is in violation of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Executive Order 13876 (EO 13876) as related to sanctions on Iran.

Sen. Cruz previously argued that Twitter is criminally liable for allowing Iranian officials designated as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) by the Treasury Department to have accounts. Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister and – Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic possess active Twitter accounts, which Sen. Cruz says is a violation of EO 13876. The president invoked his power via this EO in order to further sanctions on Iran, and the order takes aim at preventing the U.S. from providing “goods or services” to those who promote terrorism abroad:

“To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this section,” the order reads.

WATCH: From Fox Business News, Stuart Barney

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Exactly, @AjitPaiFCC. That’s why today I called on AG Barr & @stevenmnuchin1 to open a criminal investigation into @Twitter. https://t.co/tD54775hsU