*By Carlo Versano* Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook's operating chief Sheryl Sandberg head to Capitol Hill Wednesday, but the hearing may be more about who's absent rather than who's there. "There's somebody missing from this conversation, and that would be Google," said Washington Post tech reporter Tony Romm. Dorsey and Sandberg will answer to members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and address Russian interference before Dorsey goes back-to-back with the House in a hearing probing whether Twitter is actively censoring certain political views (Twitter has [said](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-denies-company-censors-content-based-on-ideology) the platform has not). This will be the first time on the Hill for both executives. "It's all happening at a time when lawmakers are increasingly concerned that social media giants haven't done enough to clean up their acts," Romm said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar. Google has not offered its CEO Sundar Pichai or Larry Page, the chief of parent company Alphabet. Google instead offered Kent Walker, a lower-rung senior VP of global affairs and chief legal officer, but the Senate committee [demured](https://www.wired.com/story/mark-warner-senate-committee-hearing-google-facebook-twitter/), so it's possible that Wednesday's hearings will produce a striking image of Sandberg and Dorsey sitting next to an empty chair. Romm said he expects it will be a day of "huge PR hits" for Google. "From the perspective of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that wasn't enough," said Romm of Google's offering. Google, for its part, has argued that it's ready and willing to dispatch employees with the most knowledge about a given subject ー and in this case, that may mean Walker. But lawmakers want CEOs and decision-makers. "That's where the buck stops," Romm said. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/facebook-twitter-executives-to-face-capitol-hill-grilling).

Share:
More In Technology
Factorial Energy Raises $200 Million to Accelerate Commercialization of Its Solid-State Batteries for Electric Vehicles
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Alphabet Reports Blowout Q4 Earnings, Inches Toward $2 Trillion Market Valuation
Google's parent company Alphabet reported blockbuster fourth quarter earnings, boosted by better-than-expected Google ad revenue and Google Cloud revenue. The results sent Alphabet's stock soaring, and the company could come close to hitting a $2 trillion market valuation similar to other tech giants Apple and Microsoft. The company also announced a 20-for-1 stock split, which would make shares more accessible to would-be investors. Mark Lehmann, CEO at JMP Securities, a Citizens Company, joins Closing Bell to discuss Alphabet's earnings report, whether the company will reach a $2 trillion market cap, its stock split, and more.
FIT:MATCH CEO on Savage X Fenty Collab to Use AR Apparel Sizing
FIT:MATCH is looking to change the game when it comes to the way retailers size clothes. The company's augmented reality technology takes a look at body shape data rather than generalized, traditional sizing parameters to determine how a piece of apparel will fit wearers. Haniff Brown, CEO and founder, joined Cheddar to discuss the patented ar-powered apparel technology and partnering with pop superstar Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line. "We launched in Vegas with Savage on January 22 and we've been having goosebumps at some of the testimonials, where customers are saying this is such an easier process versus going into a fitting room and having an associate have to touch and get handsy with a cold tape measure," Brown said.
Load More