Meta, Google Endorse Transparency on Government Communications

Tech giants Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Meta Platforms Inc. welcome the push to increase transparency around their communications with the US government, top officials at the companies testified as concerns rise about censorship online.

“Transparency regarding government actions, interactions with companies, is essential to foster public trust and uphold the principles of freedom of expression,” Markham Erickson, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, told the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday. The hearing focused on “jawboning,” informal government pressure to influence individuals, in this case tech companies, to limit or remove content on their platforms.

“We remain committed ...