Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) called for a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation of Google’s manipulation of their search engine given their “unrivaled power” online and using their “monopoly to promote liberal agendas.”
Congressman Rokita sent a letter to the FTC on Thursday, calling for an investigation into Google misleading their users with manipulated search engine results to benefit their biased agenda. The Indiana conservative cites an exclusive Breitbart News report which revealed an hour-long video of Google executives expressing vehement anti-Trump and anti-populist rhetoric.
“Google’s unrivaled power online gives them incredible capability to influence people all over the world, and consumers have the right to know if Google’s search engine is manipulating its results in a biased manner,” Rep. Rokita said.
“Time and time again, Google has consistently put liberal media at the forefront of their search results, while silencing conservative voices in the process,” Rokita continued. “That is why I have called upon the FTC to conduct an investigation into Google wrongfully using their growing monopoly to promote liberal agendas.”
In the letter to the FTC, Rokita writes, “Consumers searching for news have a right to know if they receive manipulated results instead. Your agency is tasked with protecting consumer confidence and doubts about the fairness of Internet search results undermine consumer confidence.”
Congressman Rokita sent previous letters both to the FTC and the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting an update on the status of antitrust investigations into Google. The FTC is currently holding hearings regarding antitrust and anti-competitive policies, and the DOJ said that Attorney General Jeff Sessions would meet with several state attorneys general this month to discuss the growing concern that these social media giants are “intentionally stifling” free speech.
Rokita joins fellow conservative Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) in the wake of the leaked Google video expressing anti-populist concern at Google. Jordan told Breitbart News in an exclusive statement on Wednesday that anti-conservative discrimination runs rampant across Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Read Congressman Rokita’s letter here.
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