WASHINGTON (AP) — The House and Senate intelligence committees are inviting tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet — the parent company of Google — to appear for public hearings as part of their investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, The Associated Press has learned. Before that they could also testify in the House Intelligence Committee: Representatives Mike Conaway and Adam Schiff, who lead the committee’s Russia probe, announced late Wednesday they too had invited representatives of technology firms to testify on Russian manipulation. Twitter's closed-door meetings with staff follow similar briefings from Facebook earlier this month, and the House and Senate panels have invited both tech giants, along with Google, to appear at public hearings this fall. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, confirmed the House invitation in an interview with the AP, though he noted a date had not yet been set. In a joint statement, Schiff and Republican Rep. Mike Conaway from Texas, who is leading the House investigation, said they will hold an open hearing in the coming month “with representatives from tech companies in order to better understand how Russia used online tools and platforms to sow discord in and influence our election.”

They added, “Congress and the American people need to hear this important information directly from these companies.”

The details of the invitation from the Senate intelligence committee were confirmed by two people familiar with the panel’s interactions with the companies. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private discussions between the committee and the companies. The companies have some incentive to comply with Congress and appear, as Warner and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar have said they are preparing legislation that would enhance transparency for online political ads and require social media companies to keep a public file of election ads and communications. In the closed-door briefings Thursday, Twitter’s representatives will likely face questions about the spread of false news stories and propaganda through the use of fake accounts and automated bot networks. In a statement this month, Twitter said it “deeply respects the integrity of the election process,” and it has worked to combat “bots and other forms of manipulation that violate our Terms of Service.”

Lawmakers have also been calling for more information from Facebook, which last week agreed to provide the committee with the content of about 3,000 ads, bought by a Russian agency, that were aimed at stirring up divisive political and social issues. Facing pressure from lawmakers and the public after that original announcement, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week that the company will provide congressional investigators with the contents of 3,000 ads bought by a Russian agency, while also pledging to make political advertising on its platform more transparent.
Facebook, Google, and Twitter executives have been asked to testify before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in October and the Senate Intelligence Committee on November 1, according to committee sources.