"We have explored what search could look like if it were launched in a country like China," Pichai admitted during the hearing, but evaded providing any specifics. He dodged question after question about re-entering China, a country that Google abandoned in 2010 over censorship and hacking concerns, repeatedly saying Google has no "current" plans to operate a search product that complies with Beijing censorship rules.Īt times, Pichai appeared uncomfortable discussing the controversial project, codenamed "Dragonfly," which has drawn significant fire from some employees and lawmakers. More than 50 human rights organizations sent a letter to Pichai demanding Google stop work on Dragonfly. On the other politically volatile issue of the day, Pichai refused to rule out launching a censored search engine in China. During his testimony, Pichai underscored that Google's only mission is to "provide accurate, trusted information." Seated five rows behind Pichai was Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist banned from YouTube for violating its policies against abuse. Google has repeatedly denied any partisanship in search results. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the panel, fired back, calling charges of censorship "fantasy" and part of a "right-wing conspiracy theory." Another lawmaker even accused Google of "over using" conservative news sources. Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, signaled the hearing's focus on political bias in his opening statement, raising allegations that Google's search algorithms favor "the political party it likes, the ideas it likes or the products it likes." He offered no evidence for the allegations. SAN FRANCISCO – Google's chief executive officer Sundar Pichai rejected claims of political bias against conservatives while emphasizing the American roots of the internet company in his first-ever appearance before Congress.Īgain and again, Pichai stressed during the Tuesday hearing that Google operates "without political bias," as Republican lawmakers hammered him over allegations that the search engine manipulates results to show conservatives in a negative light or suppresses the viewpoints of right-leaning voices.
Watch Video: Congressman grills CEO: Does Google know when I move seats?
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