One of the many reactions that have arrived to the investigative report by Project Veritas – apparently exposing the political bias of tech behemoth Google – comes from Congressman Louie Gohmert.
The Republican, who represents Texas’ 1st congressional district, said in a statement that an undercover video that is part of the report does, in fact, serve to prove Google’s biases.
“This video shows Google’s biases are now a threat to a free and fair election, all while they hide behind the immunity given by Congress years ago when they were supposed to be a simple ‘town square’ where everyone’s voice could be heard without biased results. In fact, Google references a significant role they see themselves fulfilling in the 2020 elections. This discovery should set off alarm bells throughout the country. It is no secret that Google has a political agenda. Multiple brave tech insiders have stepped forward and exposed Google’s censorship of content and specialized algorithms. This media giant’s ‘social justice narrative’ should distress all Americans who value a free and open society. Google should not be deciding whether content is important or trivial and they most assuredly should not be meddling in our election process. They need their immunity stripped and to be properly pursued by class action lawsuits by those they have knowingly harmed.”
According to him, the company’s practices represent a threat to a free and fair election and should be immediately dealt with and curbed.
Gohmert also accused the tech giant of becoming a threat, “all while hiding behind the immunity given by Congress years ago when they were supposed to be a simple ‘town square’ where everyone’s voice could be heard without biased results.”
The Project Veritas report combines an undercover video of a top Google executive making controversial statements regarding company policy, including about Google working to make sure the results of the 2016 election do not repeat, a testimony of an anonymous insider, and what the website said were a number of leaked Google documents.
Put together, the picture they paint is that of a powerful company that is not above using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to attempt and mold the rest of the world to its liking.
This reportedly means using Google’s resources to prevent “the next Trump situation” in future US presidential elections, training machine learning algorithms to determine the ranking of news based on Google’s political preferences, allowing these algorithms to assume an “editorial” role, and redefining fairness – again, through the use of algorithms.
Reacting to all this, Congressman Gohmert observes that instead of sticking to the role of an impartial “town square,” Google seems to have envisaged “a significant role they see themselves fulfilling in the 2020 elections.”
One remedy for this, Gohmert said, is stripping Google of the immunity it currently enjoys, and slapping them with class action lawsuits “by those they have knowingly harmed.”
Google’s apparent intent to give themselves an important role in the electoral process “should set off alarm bells throughout the country,” he said, reiterating that “it is no secret that Google has a political agenda.”
Gohmert then praised other tech insiders who have recently spoken publicly to shed light on what he refers to as Google’s “censorship of content and specialized algorithms.”
The congressman also accuses the tech giant of pushing a “social justice narrative” that should be a cause for concern.
“Google should not be deciding whether content is important or trivial and they most assuredly should not be meddling in our election process,” Gohmert concludes.
On his page, the congressman links to the original Project Veritas report, that still contains the controversial undercover video – which Google’s YouTube platform has in the meantime removed.
