CEOs from Discord, Twitch, Reddit, and Steam summoned to testify at hearing on "radicalization of online forum users"

The United States Congress has issued invitations to the leaders of Twitch, Steam, Reddit, and Discord, requesting their presence at a scheduled committee meeting. The session aims to address concerns pertaining to the "radicalization of users on online platforms," particularly in light of Charlie Kirk's recent assassination.

The invitations were dispatched by James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on September 17, 2025. Affected executives include Humam Sakhnini of Discord Inc., Gabe Newell at Valve Corporation, Dan Clancy from Twitch Interactive, and Steve Huffman with Reddit Inc.

Chairman Comer elucidated the gravity of the situation following the politically charged killing of Kirk, describing it as a loss of "a husband, father, and American patriot," in a press release announcing the request for testimonies.

Comer emphasized that it is imperative for the legislative body to scrutinize the role of these digital platforms in promoting political violence and radicalization. The hearing is scheduled for October 8, 2025. It will delve into occurrences where users have been encouraged to commit violently motivated acts, according to documents sent to each executive, differing only in the recipient's name and address.

Although the letters are not binding legal orders, failure to comply might lead to future subpoenas. Executives who agree to participate must submit written statements two days before the hearing, where they can also present a five-minute opener before facing questions from committee members.

Reddit said to Reuters that it has yet to find any connections between its platform and Tyler Robinson, the suspect linked to Kirk's murder. They reiterated their policies against content that incites violence. In contrast, Discord has expressed readiness to testify, highlighting ongoing engagement with policymakers on critical issues.

According to BBC News, Discord verified that Robinson had admitted to the act via a message in a group chat. The company, however, found no signs of premeditated planning or promotion of violence on its service.

Twitch and Valve have not yet announced whether their executives will appear before the committee.

GamesIndustry.biz has contacted Twitch, Discord, Reddit, and Valve for further commentary on the situation.