*By Carlo Versano*
Google is "missing an opportunity" by not sending a top official to Capitol Hill next week to testify on election interference and censorship, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin on Wednesday.
Facebook and Twitter are both sending C-Suite executives ー COO Sheryl Sandberg and CEO Jack Dorsey, respectively ー to testify in front of both chambers on Sept. 5.
So far, Google has said it will only dispatch its general counsel, Kent Walker.
"We need policy makers, not simply their lawyers," Warner said.
The heads of the top social and web platforms will head to the Hill to answer questions about how they are combating misinformation campaigns from state actors like Russia and Iran ahead of the midterm elections. Additionally, they are expected to face pointed questions about censorship ー a topic that President Trump has been pushing, most recently on Wednesday afternoon when he told reporters, "I think they treat Republicans and conservatives very unfairly" and such handling "may not be legal."
That echoes the sentiment of several Trump tweets Tuesday which suggested that Google News technology suppressed conservative views. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the White House would look into the matter, but many questioned Trump's statements on their face.
"The president doesn't really understand how search algorithms work," Warner said, noting that content is ranked in searches as a result of computer calculations, not human action.
The last time officials from Facebook, Twitter, and Google testified together ー last November on the topic of Russian hacking ー the reaction from lawmakers was largely negative. Since then, each company has shown a more proactive approach to the policing of their platforms.
Warner said he hopes next week's hearings will be forward-looking. "We want to look at solution sets" for these complex problems, he said.
The banking system relies on public trust; unfortunately for Facebook's cryptocurrency ambitions, the social media Goliath doesn't have an abundance of it.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) adds her own critiques of Facebook's proposed digital currency Libra, and states that it's the responsibility of Congress to potentially break apart tech firms that appear to acquire too much power.
The Republican National Committee and key party leaders have pushed back against condemnation of President Trump's racist tweet he directed at four Democratic Congresswomen of color.
Amid an investigation by Health Canada, CannTrust has halted sales of its cannabis and products. Although CannTrust's regulatory snag does not directly impact U.S. cannabis supply, Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg said that any turbulence in Canada's nascent industry could be cause for concern for its neighbor to the south.
President Donald Trump said the government will investigate Google following an accusation by tech billionaire Peter Thiel that the company is working with China and committing treason.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, July 16, 2019.
More Americans are going to college than at any time in history. And more are graduating with a student debt burden that will follow them for years. Cheddar asked every 2020 Democratic candidate how they will handle student debt. Here's what they said.
To boost voter participation, Nevada launches telecaucus to allow people to vote over the phone. Shelby Wiltz, Nevada Dems caucus director, joins Cheddar to talk about the caucus process and voter participation in 2020.
After President Trump issued a thread of xenophobic tweets calling on four Congresswomen of color to "go back" to where they came from, he defended his comments again on Twitter and in remarks to reporters at the White House.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, July 15, 2019.
