In recent days, Republican lawmakers have expressed increasing concern over Eventbrite’s policy regarding content moderation. This wave of criticism stems from the company’s seemingly lax attitude towards antisemitic events that remain visible on its platform, even though the company itself does not promote them.
Leading the charge, Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) addressed a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Eventbrite, requiring an explanation about why such events remain on the popular website. Other Republicans such as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) have also denounced these events in some capacity.
Governor Abbott made a strong suggestion regarding what he would like to see from Eventbrite. He took to Twitter to address the issue, remarking that “big tech must abide by Texan values, such as denouncing antisemitism — and that means removing it from their platforms.”
Sen. Blackburn also wrote a letter to Eventbrite calling for a more active approach to content moderation and outlining her strong disapproval of such events being displayed on Eventbrite’s platform.
Rep. Budd echoed the sentiment of the other two Republicans, saying that events like the ones at issue “fly in the face of our core American values,” and that the website should be “utterly intolerant of hate, prejudice and racism.”
In response to the criticism, Eventbrite has stated that it takes the issue of inappropriate content seriously, and that it has strict policies in place to ensure the safety of its users. The company also noted that it has removed a number of events from its platform that it deemed to be violating its terms of service.
Whether or not the Republicans’ criticism prompts Eventbrite to take more action remains to be seen. However, the strong reaction of elected officials serves as a reminder that the company will need to be more vigilant in monitoring content if it is to restore the trust of its users.
