Google\u00a0CEO Sundar Pichai\u00a0is set\u00a0to testify on Capitol Hill next week, marking the chief executive’s first public appearance before Congress as lawmakers intensify\u00a0their criticism of the world’s\u00a0biggest tech giants.<\/p>\n
Pichai is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Dec. 5, the panel announced Wednesday, offering lawmakers an opportunity to scrutinize Google’s filtering practices and allegations of political bias.<\/p>\n
The tech executive is likely to field sharp questions about allegations that Google censors conservative voices, a theory promoted by\u00a0President Trump<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and key Republican figures. Pichai has previously\u00a0disputed claims of political bias<\/a>\u00a0against conservatives in Google’s search results.<\/p>\n “The technology behind online services like social media and Internet search engines can\u00a0… be used to suppress particular viewpoints and manipulate public opinion,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman\u00a0Bob Goodlatte<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(R-Va.) said in a statement. “It is Congress\u2019 responsibility to the American people to make sure these tech giants are transparent and accountable in their practices.”<\/p>\n House Majority Leader\u00a0Kevin McCarthy<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(R-Calif.) also released a statement claiming Google’s\u00a0“business practices may have been affected by political bias.”<\/p>\n The Google chief’s\u00a0appearance before the Judiciary Committee will come a few months after he attended a\u00a0private meeting with\u00a0Republicans<\/a>\u00a0to discuss the perception that Google\u00a0censors news from right-leaning outlets.<\/p>\n Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are also likely to grill him about reports that Google is working on a censored search engine for China. The project, dubbed “Dragonfly,” has faced heavy\u00a0criticism from human rights activists, Google employees and Vice President Pence, who say it\u00a0could contribute to Beijing’s state suppression and censorship.<\/p>\n Pichai’s scheduled\u00a0hearing comes after Google\u00a0in September declined to participate in a public hearing attended by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook\u00a0Chief Operating Officer\u00a0Sheryl Sandberg, opting instead for closed-door meetings.<\/p>\n