[Baltimore Sun] Missouri AG probes Google over claims it censored ‘conservative speech’
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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced an investigation into Google on Thursday over claims the search engine has censored “conservative speech.”
“I am launching an investigation into Google — the biggest search engine in America — for censoring conservative speech during the most consequential election in our nation’s history,” Bailey posted on X. “Google is waging war on the democratic process. It’s time to fight back.”
A spokesperson for Google said the attorney general’s claims are “totally false.”
“Search serves all our users, and our business rests on showing useful information to everyone – no matter what their political beliefs are,” the spokesperson said.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., announced a separate investigation into the search engine more than two and a half months ago. He accused Google of suppressing terms related to the first assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
“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,” Marshall wrote in a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
“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,” the lawmaker continued.
He said Google violated the “intent” of Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, which gives some legal protection for online service providers.
“Google advertises itself as a search engine and aggregator, not a censor. If Google wishes to become 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 wrote.
Google said in response it was committed to being a trustworthy and reliable source of information.
“It is important to note that Autocomplete is a tool to help our users complete a search quickly,” Mark Isakowitz, Google vice president of government affairs and public policy for the U.S. and Canada, wrote in a letter.
“Regardless of what predictions it shows at any given moment, users can always search for whatever they want and get easy access to results, images, and more,” Isakowitz added.
Have a news tip? Contact Ray Lewis at rjlewis@sbgtv.com or at x.com/rayjlewis. Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.
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