Tulsi Gabbard sues Google over censorship claims
Tulsi
Gabbard sues Google over censorship claims
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a 2020
presidential contender, is suing Google over claims that the tech behemoth
violated her right to "free speech."
In a federal complaint filed
Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California,
Gabbard alleged Google censored her presidential campaign when it suspended
their advertising account for several hours last month.
A Google spokeswoman pushed
back on Gabbard's claims in a statement to The Hill, attributing the brief
suspension to sudden "large spending changes" that set off Google's
automated systems.
"We have automated
systems that flag unusual activity on all advertiser accounts – including large
spending changes – in order to prevent fraud and protect our customers,"
the spokeswoman said.
"In this case, our system
triggered a suspension and the account was reinstated shortly thereafter."
Gabbard's lawsuit marks the
first time a presidential contender has sued a large technology company over
such claims.
The Hawaii Democrat's
principal campaign committee, Tulsi Now Inc., is suing Google, accusing it of
violating her First Amendment rights along with a litany of violations under
California law.
"With this lawsuit, Tulsi
seeks to stop Google from further intermeddling in the 2020 United States
Presidential Election," the complaint reads.
Gabbard's lawsuit reflects a
narrative typically espoused by Republicans, many of whom have spent years
claiming that the top tech companies in the world routinely censor their
perspectives. President Trump has long accused
the companies of discriminating against himself and other Republicans, and last
month held a "social media summit" dedicated explicitly to the
issue.
Few Democrats have gotten
behind the charges, mostly passing them off as a conservative talking point and
pointing out there is little evidence beyond individual anecdotes to
substantiate the claims.
In a statement, Gabbard's
campaign pointed out that the suspension of her advertising account came
shortly after the first debate last month, during which Gabbard was one of the
most-searched Democrats.
"In the hours following
the 1st debate, while millions of Americans searched for info about Tulsi,
Google suspended her search ad account w/o explanation," the campaign
said. "It is vital to our democracy that big tech companies can’t affect
the outcome of elections."
Gabbard, a long-shot candidate
who regularly polls around 1 percent, has long staked out positions that put
her at odds with most of the Democratic party.
The complaint also alleges that
Google did not offer adequate explanations for her advertising account's
suspension during the hours between June 27 and 28.
"For hours, as millions
of Americans searched Google for information about Tulsi, and as Tulsi was
trying, through Google, to speak to them, her Google Ads account was
arbitrarily and forcibly taken offline," it reads. "Throughout this
period, the Campaign worked frantically to gather more information about the
suspension."
"In response, the
Campaign got opacity and an inconsistent series of answers from Google,"
it states.
Gabbard is seeking $50 million
in damages.
The lawsuit comes as Google is
facing intensifying scrutiny from Capitol Hill and federal regulators over
potential antitrust concerns. The Department of Justice earlier this week
announced it has launched an investigation into companies that dominate various
digital markets, including online search. Google holds about 92 percent of the
world's search engine market share.
Lawmakers and experts have
been raising concerns over Big Tech's role in the upcoming elections after
trolls and foreign actors manipulated the top platforms to spread
misinformation during the 2016 presidential election.
—
Updated at 2:08 p.m.
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