Discord, Reddit, Twitch CEOs to testify on Capitol Hill after Charlie Kirk assassination

A US House committee on Wednesday asked the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Amazon-owned Twitch, and Reddit to testify at an Oct. 8th hearing following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, citing the "radicalization of online forum users."

Kirk, 31, co-founder of the conservative student movement Turning Point USA and a key ally of President Donald Trump, was speaking at an event attended by about 3,000 people when he was gunned down last week.

"In the wake of this tragedy, and amid other acts of politically motivated violence, Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence," Republican Representative James Comer, chair of the US House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said in a letter to the four companies.

"The hearing will examine radicalization of online forum users, including incidents of open incitement to commit violent politically motivated acts," the letter to the companies said.

Roughly two out of three Americans believe that harsh rhetoric common in politics is encouraging violence, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in the days following Kirk's murder.

The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.