Gabe Newell, Dan Clancy among tech leaders to testify on extremism in online forums
Roses and candles are placed next to a picture of Charlie Kirk during a vigil under the line "In Memory of Charlie Kirk, for freedom, patriotism and justice" in front of the Embassy of the United States after US right-wing activist, commentator, Charlie Kirk, an ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University, Orem, US, in Berlin, Germany September 11, 2025. Photo: Reuters
The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has called on the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify before Congress following the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk.
Committee Chairman James Comer announced the October 8 hearing, which will focus on the "radicalization of online forum users" and the role digital platforms may play in enabling politically motivated violence. Kirk, a prominent conservative and Trump ally, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10. His alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, appeared to confess in a Discord message shortly before his arrest. “It was me at UVU yesterday. I'm sorry for all of this,” the message read, according to the BBC.
Robinson has since been charged with aggravated murder.
Comer described Kirk's death as a "politically motivated assassination" and said Congress must hold online platforms accountable for the ways they may be exploited by extremists. “The CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit must explain what steps they’re taking to stop political violence on their platforms,” Comer stated.
Letters were sent to Discord CEO Humam Sakhnini, Valve president Gabe Newell, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, and Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. They are required to submit written testimony two business days before the hearing and will each give a five-minute opening statement before facing questions from committee members.
Discord responded that it looks forward to testifying, stating, “We continuously engage with policymakers on these critical issues.” Reddit denied finding evidence that Robinson used its platform, reaffirming its policies against violent or hateful content.
Separately, Senator Mark Warner previously criticized Steam for hosting hate-based content and urged Valve to improve its moderation policies.