Google CEO to Tell Lawmakers Tech Giant Operates ‘Without Political Bias’

December 11, 2018, 10:46 AM

Google CEO to Tell Lawmakers Tech Giant Operates 'Without Political Bias'

Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrives to testify before the House Judiciary Committee to be questioned about the internet giant's privacy security and data collection, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2018.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to tell members of the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday he runs the U.S. technology giant without political preference.

"I lead this company without political bias and work to ensure that our products continue to operate that way. To do otherwise would go against our core principles and our business interests," according to remarks prepared for the hearing.

Republican committee members are expected to question Pichai about allegations Google is biased against conservative voices.

President Donald Trump is among those who have accused the company of censoring conservative content, tweeting in August Google is "RIGGED" and that "Republican/Conservative & Fair Media is shut out."

Pichai's testimony comes after he angered committee members in September by declining an invitation to testify about manipulation of online services by foreign governments to influence U.S. elections.

The CEO may also be questioned about the company's planned "Dragonfly" project, a censored search engine for China.

An international group of 60 human rights and media groups submitted a letter Tuesday to Pichai, calling on him to abandon the project, warning that personal data would not be safe from Chinese authorities.

Reporters Without Borders, a signatory to the letter, said China ranked 176 out of 180 countries in its Freedom of the Press Index.

Google shut down its search engine in China in 2010 after China insisted on censoring search results.

Click to read Pichai's remarks in their entirety.

Original Article