US: Google won’t send its CEO to testify

Executives from three major tech companies are due to appear before Congress next Wednesday to talk about their role in protecting the integrity of November’s midterm elections, but senators are threatening to put an empty chair in Google’s place. The potential move is a sign of lawmakers’ increasing dissatisfaction with the company.

The Senate Intelligence Committee invited leaders from Facebook, Twitter and Google to a hearing on their role in “protecting elections from misinformation and disinformation.” The companies have faced intense scrutiny since it emerged that a Russian government-linked disinformation campaign wreaked havoc on their platforms during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey agreed to attend. The committee also invited Google CEO Sundar Pichai, but the company offered to send Kent Walker, its senior vice president of Global Affairs, in his place.

“We want to talk about solutions. We’ve asked for the most senior executives. … [Google] ought to be part of this discussion and dialogue,” Warner said on “Power Lunch.”

“Chances are there’s going to be an empty chair there. And I think there will be a lot more questions raised that could have been actually dealt with if they sent a senior decision-maker and not simply their counsel.”

On Tuesday Warner said Google was making a “grave mistake” in its handling of the committee’s request.

Full Content: CNBC