A U.S. Federal Communications Commission decision to review a liability shield for Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. fulfills the wishes of President Donald Trump and his conservative allies, yet has prompted questions about the agency’s authority and political motivations.

With less than three weeks before the American election, the FCC’s Republican Chairman, Ajit Pai, said the agency would seek to “clarify” the platforms’ exemptions from liability for how they handle users’ posts. That would fulfill an executive order issued in May by Trump to rein in Big Tech after Twitter started to fact-check the president’s posts.

Gigi Sohn, a former FCC Democratic aide, said the FCC’s move and its timing were designed to influence the election. “They’re working the referee” by seeking to influence the platforms ahead of the election, she said.

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