With top Facebook and Twitter execs testifying in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Google’s conspicuous absence drew the ire of several congressmen looking to press the “arrogant” ad giant on how it is fighting against the spread of misinformation.
“I’m deeply disappointed that Google – one of the most influential digital platforms in the world – chose not to send its own top corporate leadership to engage this committee,” Sen. Mark Warner said in his opening remarks.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg addressed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence alongside an empty seat left for Google. The committee had requested that Larry Page, chief executive of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, or Google CEO Sundar Pichai testify alongside their Silicon Valley peers on stopping political fake news.