The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee asked the CEOs of online platforms Steam, Discord, Twitch, and Reddit to testify at an online radicalization hearing scheduled for October 8. News of the CEO subpoenas follows the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder and prominent conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University last week. According to the Washington Post, alleged suspect Tyler Robinson reportedly used Discord’s messaging capabilities to confess. Robinson is due in court on Tuesday.
In a press release (via Reuters), U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) asked the heads of digital games distributor Steam and Amazon subsidiary Twitch, as well as social platforms Discord and Reddit, to testify at a hearing scheduled for October 8. In its statement, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform says it will “examine the radicalization of online forum users, including instances of open incitement to commit politically motivated acts.”
The House Oversight Committee submitted letters to Discord CEO Humam Sakhnini, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and Valve Corporation President Gabe Newell. Newell co-founded the Steam parent company in 1996. Chairman Comer is quoted in the press release:
“The politically motivated assassination of Charlie Kirk claimed the life of a husband, father, and American patriot. 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. To prevent future radicalization and violence, the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit must appear before the Oversight Committee and explain what actions they will take to ensure their platforms are not exploited for nefarious purposes.”
None of the subpoenaed CEOs have issued subsequent remarks or confirmed their attendance. A Discord spokesperson told The Hill that an internal investigation found “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.” The full statement reads:
“During our investigation, Discord identified an account belonging to the suspect. We have not found or received any evidence that the suspect planned this incident on Discord or promoted violence on Discord. The messages referenced in reporting about weapon retrieval and planning details were not Discord messages, and likely took place on a phone-number based messaging platform. We continue to work closely with the FBI and local authorities, and will continue to deliver prompt responses to their requests for assistance.”
The platform’s last CEO, Jason Citron, stepped down from the role in April 2025.
This is a developing story.
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