Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai earlier this year. Photo: Robin Groulx/Axios
Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is doubling down on his critique of tech companies, asking whether social media is "a net benefit to American society" in remarks at the Media Institute on Wednesday. "Now, I will tell you upfront that I don't have an answer."
The bigger picture: Pai is taking on Silicon Valley giants as he tries to repeal net neutrality rules. Yesterday, Pai said web platforms are more of a threat to free speech than the internet service providers. Today he's arguing they are responsible for polarizing Americans politically and alienating them personally.
What he said: Pai made the case that social media has been key to the politicization of many aspects of American life. "Everything nowadays is political. Everything. … This view that politics-is-all is often made worse by social media," he said, per his prepared remarks.
And he argued it's caused people to lose their roots in the real world. "In a way, one could say that 'social media' is perhaps the most inapt phrase ever coined," he said. "It allows us to stay in touch while keeping a distance. It has sped the breakdown in human interaction."
Go deeper: Our reporting on Pai's comments on Tuesday, and Silicon Valley's response.