Internet giant Google is declining to answer a series of questions from Congress about its rumored efforts to launch a Chinese-government approved censored search engine, fueling ongoing concerns about the company’s efforts to partner with repressive regimes known to conduct cyber espionage operations against the United States.
Google has informed a cadre of top senators that it will not answer detailed questions about the potential launch of a new search engine in China that has come under congressional scrutiny due to the Chinese regime’s routine censorship of content.
Google informed a bipartisan team of senators—including Sens. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Cory Gardner (R., Colo.)—that it is not in a position to answer a series of questions about the company’s rumored plans, according to a copy of Google’s correspondence with the lawmakers obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
The secrecy surrounding a possible Google-run search engine in China comes as the company declined a request by the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify Wednesday about foreign election meddling and other issues surrounding illicit cyber operations on social media sites. Google declined to make its top CEO, Larry Page, available for the hearing, though leaders from Facebook and Twitter are scheduled to appear. – READ MORE
[divider][/divider]President Trump in a new interview Thursday said that Facebook, Google and Amazon may be in a “very antitrust situation,” but declined to elaborate on whether the companies should be broken up.
“I won’t comment on the breaking up, of whether it’s that or Amazon or Facebook,” Trump said in an with Bloomberg News. “As you know, many people think it is a very antitrust situation, the three of them. But I just, I won’t comment on that.”
He charged the firms with exhibiting a bias against conservatives.
Trump has accused the tech giants as being anti-conservative and for allegedly stifling conservative speech.
He tweeted on Tuesday that Google News was biased against conservatives and said “This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!” – READ MORE
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