If you’ve read PJ Media for any length of time over the past few years, chances are you’ve read about how we regularly face suppression at the hands of Big Tech. It’s one of the primary reasons for our VIP program — if you’d like to sign up (and get 50% off with the code SAVEAMERICA), we’d love to have you.
Big Tech is at it again, and it’s not just going after PJ Media. Facebook recently admitted to “mistakenly” censoring one of the most memorable photos from the Donald Trump assassination attempt on July 13. Google’s search algorithms have made it harder to search for information about the assassination attempt. And Trump has even recently accused Google of election interference.
I can’t say with certainty if Big Tech outlets are actively trying to influence the election, although I have my suspicions. At the same time, I can’t help but believe that Google is partisan, and so does a senator who is launching an investigation into the tech giant.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) sent a letter to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, announcing his intent to investigate. The investigation centers on how difficult it has been for Google users to search for more information about the Trump assassination attempt.
Related: Remember When the Left Fact-Checked Us to Death Over Big-Tech Interference in 2020?
Marshall wrote:
Google's failure to provide suggestions related to the assassination attempt against President Trump on July 13, 2024 as part of its search function is yet another example of censorship against conservative voices and violates the intent of Section 230 Omitting suggestions to the most obvious and recent victim of an assassination attempt shows a willful discrimination against President Trump and users of your search engine. Furthermore, Google's decision to selectively erect hurdles to those seeking to obtain more information regarding one of the most important events in recent American history places you in the role of information arbiter, well beyond the scope of your firm's purported purpose. Regrettably, I am not surprised by this glaring omission given Google's demonstrated history of manipulating results and discrimination against conservative ideology.
Google advertises itself as a search engine and aggregator, not a censor. If Google wishes to become to a publishing firm or editor, Congress could then regulate accordingly by removing the sacred Section 230 protections your firm has long used to silence conservative voices.
Marshall also included a list of questions he is asking Google to answer by August 9:
1. Why does Google’s search suggestion function create automated entries for “assassination attempt on President Truman” but not “assassination attempt on President Trump”?
2. Who oversees the algorithmic search function at Google?
3. Can you discuss why you believe hiding violent search results is better for the public discourse than offering up-to-date information?
4. What decisions were made at Google in the aftermath of the July 13th assassination attempt in regards to searches for the July 13th attack on President Trump?
5. Please provide any written correspondence between employees at Google regarding updating the search function in response to the July 13th attack
6. If autocomplete systems have protections against “political violence” why does the system make suggestions after querying the words “political violence”?
7. What are some other global instances in which Google took the same precautions as they have with the events of July 13th?
8. What is Google’s timeline for adding the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to it autocomplete search feature?
9. What is Google’s timeline for making the attempted assassination of Donald Trump a search Topic, similar to that of the attempted assassination of Harry Truman, on Google?
Marshall said that he and his colleagues will investigate “Google’s censorship, bias, and constricting the free flow of information.” They may call Google execs to testify.
It’ll be interesting to see if Google complies and what Pichai’s answers will be. Or is this one of those “strongly worded letters” that will never accomplish anything?
Search engines are supposed to act in service of all the people, and when they take a political stand, they do a disservice to everyone. It’s past time to hold Big Tech accountable.
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