Rep. Gaetz to Facebook: How Many Times Can a Page Encourage Violence Against Republicans Before It’s Banned?

GAETZ Ms Bickert I ░░░░░░░░ provided to you a ░░░░░░░░ I ve taken from ░░░░░░░░ that was published on ░░░░░░░░ from a page that ░░░░░░░░ Milkshakes Against the Republican ░░░░░░░░ There are two posts ░░░░░░░░ you read the first ░░░░░░░░ And there is one ░░░░░░░░ word there that you ░░░░░░░░ welcome to skip over ░░░░░░░░ you read it aloud ░░░░░░░░ Congressman this is a ░░░░░░░░ Milkshakes Against the Republican ░░░░░░░░ It has a picture ░░░░░░░░ it says Parents in ░░░░░░░░ waiting area for today ░░░░░░░░ school shooting in Florida ░░░░░░░░ then it says You ░░░░░░░░ the shooting at the ░░░░░░░░ baseball game One of ░░░░░░░░ should happen every week ░░░░░░░░ those NRA and then ░░░░░░░░ unpleasant words And then ░░░░░░░░ s I m not ░░░░░░░░ if this is another ░░░░░░░░ beneath it or not ░░░░░░░░ Yes that s a ░░░░░░░░ post Will you read ░░░░░░░░ That has no naughty ░░░░░░░░ BICKERT It says Dear ░░░░░░░░ Shooters the GOP has ░░░░░░░░ baseball practice You really ░░░░░░░░ to be remembered that ░░░░░░░░ how you do it ░░░░░░░░ Americans tired of our ░░░░░░░░ bathing in the blood ░░░░░░░░ the innocent for a ░░░░░░░░ million dollars from the ░░░░░░░░ organization NRA GAETZ Do ░░░░░░░░ posts violate your terms ░░░░░░░░ service BICKERT Any call ░░░░░░░░ violence violates our terms ░░░░░░░░ service GAETZ So why ░░░░░░░░ Milkshakes Against the Republican ░░░░░░░░ still a live page ░░░░░░░░ your platform BICKERT I ░░░░░░░░ t speak I haven ░░░░░░░░ reviewed this page I ░░░░░░░░ t speak to why ░░░░░░░░ page is up or ░░░░░░░░ up But we can ░░░░░░░░ follow up GAETZ So ░░░░░░░░ with it GAETZ so ░░░░░░░░ member of my staff ░░░░░░░░ these comments to Facebook ░░░░░░░░ we said based on ░░░░░░░░ reading of your terms ░░░░░░░░ service and frankly based ░░░░░░░░ your testimony today where ░░░░░░░░ say we are committed ░░░░░░░░ removing content that encourages ░░░░░░░░ world harm based on ░░░░░░░░ this would be a ░░░░░░░░ violation But I received ░░░░░░░░ what I ve provided ░░░░░░░░ you And the highlighted ░░░░░░░░ of of Facebook s ░░░░░░░░ back to my staff ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t go ░░░░░░░░ one of our specific ░░░░░░░░ standards So you do ░░░░░░░░ see the tension between ░░░░░░░░ public testimony today your ░░░░░░░░ of service and then ░░░░░░░░ conduct when you are ░░░░░░░░ with violent calls to ░░░░░░░░ people who are members ░░░░░░░░ my party at baseball ░░░░░░░░ BICKERT Congressmen there s ░░░░░░░░ place for any calls ░░░░░░░░ violence on Facebook I ░░░░░░░░ certainly follow up after ░░░░░░░░ hearing and make sure ░░░░░░░░ we re addressing content ░░░░░░░░ bring to our attention ░░░░░░░░ indecipherable GAETZ Thank you ░░░░░░░░ I mean I I ░░░░░░░░ it to your attention ░░░░░░░░ I e mailed it ░░░░░░░░ you And then I ░░░░░░░░ it to your attention ░░░░░░░░ I went to Facebook ░░░░░░░░ Mr Ratcliffe We went ░░░░░░░░ California We went to ░░░░░░░░ corporate headquarters I showed ░░░░░░░░ posts to your executives ░░░░░░░░ the response I got ░░░░░░░░ your executives is well ░░░░░░░░ removed those specific posts ░░░░░░░░ we re not going ░░░░░░░░ remove the entire page ░░░░░░░░ I I guess if ░░░░░░░░ page hosts repeated content ░░░░░░░░ threatens violence and that ░░░░░░░░ the shooting of Republicans ░░░░░░░░ a baseball game why ░░░░░░░░ you not remove the ░░░░░░░░ BICKERT Thank you Congressman ░░░░░░░░ So these posts were ░░░░░░░░ but the page has ░░░░░░░░ been removed is that ░░░░░░░░ Correct BICKERT correct OK ░░░░░░░░ we remove pages or ░░░░░░░░ or profiles when there ░░░░░░░░ a certain threshold of ░░░░░░░░ that has been met ░░░░░░░░ and this depends If ░░░░░░░░ for instance posts an ░░░░░░░░ of child sexual abuse ░░░░░░░░ their account will come ░░░░░░░░ right away But there ░░░░░░░░ different thresholds depending on ░░░░░░░░ violations So I can ░░░░░░░░ up GAETZ So so ░░░░░░░░ with you on that ░░░░░░░░ yes How many times ░░░░░░░░ a page have to ░░░░░░░░ violence against Republican members ░░░░░░░░ Congress at baseball practice ░░░░░░░░ you will ban the ░░░░░░░░ BICKERT Congressman I m ░░░░░░░░ to look into this ░░░░░░░░ look at the page ░░░░░░░░ and then come back ░░░░░░░░ you with an answer ░░░░░░░░ You you agree this ░░░░░░░░ a mistake right BICKERT ░░░░░░░░ these the posts should ░░░░░░░░ be on Facebook I ░░░░░░░░ to look at a ░░░░░░░░ page before with my ░░░░░░░░ before we can GAETZ ░░░░░░░░ you think that this ░░░░░░░░ should be hosted on ░░░░░░░░ with these multiple calls ░░░░░░░░ violence against people in ░░░░░░░░ party BICKERT Congressman I ░░░░░░░░ have not seen the ░░░░░░░░ on Facebook But I ░░░░░░░░ look into it with ░░░░░░░░ team GAETZ You ve ░░░░░░░░ these posts though right ░░░░░░░░ Will the chairman yield ░░░░░░░░ Yes I ll yield ░░░░░░░░ for a sympathetic question ░░░░░░░░ I m I m ░░░░░░░░ with the chairman about ░░░░░░░░ And I think we ░░░░░░░░ at the exact same ░░░░░░░░ when we were talking ░░░░░░░░ at what threshold does ░░░░░░░░ have their page taken ░░░░░░░░ after they repeatedly deny ░░░░░░░░ historical reality of massacres ░░░░░░░░ children in public schools ░░░░░░░░ so when you follow ░░░░░░░░ with it and obviously ░░░░░░░░ want to look into ░░░░░░░░ specifics of the case ░░░░░░░░ would love it if ░░░░░░░░ would follow up also ░░░░░░░░ Alex Jones and InfoWars ░░░░░░░░ certain content you re ░░░░░░░░ has been taken down ░░░░░░░░ they are taunting the ░░░░░░░░ from Parkland but at ░░░░░░░░ point does the whole ░░░░░░░░ get taken down And ░░░░░░░░ agree certainly that the ░░░░░░░░ these posts should be ░░░░░░░░ down that the chairman ░░░░░░░░ talking about I yield ░░░░░░░░ GAETZ I thank the ░░░░░░░░ and would concur with ░░░░░░░░ sentiments My time has ░░░░░░░░ And seeing no further ░░░░░░░░ before the committee this ░░░░░░░░ today s hearing Thank ░░░░░░░░ to the distinguished witnesses ░░░░░░░░ attending Without objection all ░░░░░░░░ will have five legislative ░░░░░░░░ to submit additional written ░░░░░░░░ for the witnesses or ░░░░░░░░ materials for the record ░░░░░░░░ hearing is adjourned.”