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| © Provided by CNBC LLC Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on stage during the annual Google I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California, May 8, 2018. |
From CNBC
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai will testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m., according to a release from the committee.
- Pichai will be asked about potential bias in the platform and transparency around Google's practices.
- Google previously declined to send the CEO to a hearing with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to testify in front of the House
of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. to discuss
transparency and potential bias on the platform, according to a release from the committee.
Google previously declined an
invitation for Pichai or his boss, Alphabet CEO and Google co-founder
Larry Page, to appear before the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence. Tech peers Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, and
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg attended. The committee left an empty chair
for Google.
Pichai later talked to members of Congress in a private session .
Now, the Google CEO will have to face lawmakers to defend its practices. The company has been accused of skewing search results against conservative viewpoints and has been criticized for its consideration of creating a censored version of its platform to re-enter the Chinese market.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in statement that Google's vast reach requires the company to be responsible with its users.
"Unfortunately,
recent reports suggest Google might not be wielding its vast power
impartially," McCarthy said. "Its business practices may have been
affected by political bias. Additionally, reports claim the company is
compromising its core principles by complying with repressive censorship
mandates from China."
"Online technology is now an integral part of most Americans' modern lifestyle," House Judiciary Committee Chariman
Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said in a statement. "It has globalized society
and made it possible for people to connect across continents, explore
vast amounts of information, and share meaningful dialogue with friends.
However, the technology behind online services like social media and
Internet search engines can also be used to suppress particular
viewpoints and manipulate public opinion."
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