A Facebook audit of anti-conservative bias claims was panned by liberals for being inconclusive and slammed as a "smokescreen disguised as a solution" by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Politico reported.
"Merely asking somebody to listen to conservatives' concerns isn't an 'audit,' it's a smokescreen disguised as a solution," Hawley's statement read. "Facebook should conduct an actual audit by giving a trusted third party access to its algorithm, its key documents, and its content moderation protocols. Then Facebook should release the results to the public."
Former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., wrote the eight-page audit, which ostensibly failed to conclude whether anti-conservative bias exists on Facebook's platform and is viewed as another way to squelch conservative complaints of bias.
"The audit released [Tuesday] by former Sen. Kyl is shamefully more of the same," Media Research Center (MRC) President Brent Bozell, co-author of "Unmasked: Big Media's War Against Trump," wrote in a statement.
"Kyl spoke with representatives from some 130 conservative organizations, but their complaints fell on deaf ears. While this audit may list some of the issues we've raised, it stunningly fails to admit fault or wrongdoing. The 'changes and commitments' Facebook has proposed in response are empty and insulting."
Bozell concluded:
"Facebook and Sen. Kyl have sent a message to the entire conservative movement that they do not take our concerns seriously and have zero intention to change.
"I will say I never expected this. Those who told me working with Facebook was a fool's errand appear to be having the last word."