*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.
Nike shares were lower after the company announced it would feature Colin Kaepernick as part of its new ad campaign. #NikeBoycott trended on Twitter as users showed themselves destroying Nike apparel.
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Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will face the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday on Capitol Hill to discuss a variety of topics like hate speech and election interference. Tony Romm, Technology Reporter for the Washington Post, says Google's refusal to send a high-level exec could result in "huge PR hits" for the company.
Joe Buscaino, a Los Angeles City Council Member, believes the implementation of electric scooters and better bike lanes and accessibility will improve the traffic and mobility of the city of Los Angeles.
Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, has donated over $40 million to news outlets such as Mother Jones and ProPublica that support investigative journalism. "This is my war," he told Cheddar.
After a recent report claiming that Andrew Cuomo accepted undisclosed donations from cannabis companies, many are suspicious of the gubernatorial incumbent who is seeking re-election against actress Cynthia Nixon, a political newcomer. Alyson Martin, a co-founder of CannabisWire, which published the report, told Cheddar on Friday that she thinks the news is an indication that Cuomo may be softening his stance on marijuana.
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Amazon put out a statement refuting Bernie Sander's position that its workers were underpaid and overworked. Brian Heater, a hardware editor at TechCrunch, thinks the nearly $1 trillion company can withstand it.
Amy Nelson, founder of the Riveter, tries to imagine a scenario in which a female CEO would be praised for crying in an interview.
After criticism from the French tennis federation that her much-loved "catsuit" was disrespectful to the sport, Serena Williams took the court at the U.S. Open in a tutu -- and blew open a conversation long-asked in offices everywhere: just what is "work appropriate attire"? Vanessa Friedman, fashion critic for the New York Times, said it's about time.
