For Pichai, the hearing threatens to be a long, wide-ranging review of Google’s business practices at a perilous political moment for the tech giant.
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai is set to testify to Congress in December, facing off against lawmakers for the first time at a hearing that could subject the search giant to the same harsh political spotlight that has faced its tech peers all year.
The scheduled December 5 hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, confirmed by three sources familiar with the plan but not authorised to speak on record, comes in response to some Republicans who claim that Google, like its tech peers, is biased against conservatives.
A spokesman for the panel’s GOP leader, Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Google also did not immediately respond.
Led by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Calif., GOP lawmakers long have blasted Google for allegedly silencing right-leaning news, views and users, and President Donald Trump similarly has claimed the company promotes negative stories about his administration.
