EXPLAINER: Congress asks tech companies for Jan. 6 records

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection has requested that telecommunications and social media companies preserve the personal communications of hundreds of people who may have somehow been connected to the attack. It’s a sweeping public demand from Congress that is rare in its breadth and could put the companies in a tricky position as they balance political and privacy interests. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy directly threatened the companies, tweeting that “a Republican majority will not forget” if they turn over information.