Congressional Probes Target Alleged Biden Administration Influence on Apple, TikTok, and OpenAI

Washington D.C. – Allegations of the Biden administration's close collaboration with major technology companies, including Apple, TikTok, and OpenAI, in contexts described as "weaponization, censorship and privacy undermining" have intensified, drawing scrutiny from congressional committees and sparking legal battles. These claims, prominently voiced by figures such as Olivia P. Walker on social media, suggest a concerted effort to influence content and data practices across the tech sector. The assertions come amid broader debates over government's role in online speech and national security.

The Supreme Court recently upheld a law requiring TikTok's divestiture or a ban in the U.S., citing national security concerns over its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The court's decision in TikTok Inc. v. Garland emphasized the government's compelling interest in preventing foreign adversaries from collecting sensitive U.S. user data and potentially influencing content. This ruling supports the Biden administration's stance that TikTok poses a significant risk, though the app's future remains uncertain under the incoming Trump administration.

Beyond TikTok, Republican-led congressional investigations, particularly by the House Judiciary Committee, are probing alleged pressure from the Biden administration on a wide array of tech firms, including Apple and OpenAI. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has issued subpoenas to these companies, seeking communications related to content moderation, especially concerning artificial intelligence (AI) models. These inquiries aim to uncover whether the previous administration "coerced or colluded" with tech giants to suppress speech or mitigate "harmful bias" in AI outputs.

The scope of these investigations extends to Apple, with lawmakers examining its AI content moderation policies and any interactions with the executive branch regarding these issues. While specific instances of direct content removal demands on Apple are less publicized than those concerning other platforms, the company is part of the broader inquiry into alleged government influence. Similarly, OpenAI, a leading AI developer, is under scrutiny for its AI models' content moderation, with questions raised about potential government pressure shaping its algorithms and outputs.

These developments build upon earlier allegations of the Biden administration pressuring social media companies like Meta (Facebook) and Google (YouTube) to moderate content related to COVID-19 misinformation and other topics. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has publicly stated that his company was pressured by senior Biden administration officials to "censor" certain COVID-19 content. The ongoing congressional probes and legal challenges highlight a persistent tension between government efforts to combat perceived online harms and concerns over potential infringements on free speech and privacy.

"with regard to your statement 'Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know' it’s actually pretty obvious and if you remember Apple, TikTok and OpenAI worked VERY closely with — in partnership with — the Biden Admin in @Weaponization, censorship and privacy undermining contexts…," Olivia P. Walker stated in a recent tweet, tagging Elon Musk.