Missouri Republican says he is investigating Google for ‘censoring conservative speech’

In a recent announcement, Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey revealed that he is undertaking an investigation into Google, claiming the tech giant is censoring conservative speech during what he describes as the most significant election in American history. However, Bailey did not provide any specific examples or evidence to substantiate his allegations.

In a post on X, Bailey stated, “I have reason to believe that Google is manipulating their search results to downplay information about the Trump campaign leading up to election day. I will not allow Google to interfere in this crucial election.”

A Google spokesperson responded to these claims, stating, “The assertions are completely false.” The spokesperson emphasized that, “Search serves all our users, and our business depends on providing useful information to everyone, irrespective of their political views.”

This isn’t the first time that accusations of anti-conservative bias have sparked debate among Republican leaders, who have long alleged that tech companies are biased against them. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, previously indicated that if he were to win the election, he would pursue criminal charges against Google. Trump and his supporters have claimed, without evidence, that Google searches predominantly display negative stories about him.

In August, Trump criticized Google for allegedly failing to address the suppression of search results related to an assassination attempt against him. He remarked, “Google has been very bad. They’ve been very irresponsible. I have a feeling that Google’s going to be close to shutdown, because I don’t think Congress is going to take it. I really don’t think so. Google has to be careful.”

In 2022, the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company was systematically hampering its email solicitations in the lead-up to the midterm elections, a claim that Google strongly denied. The RNC accused Gmail of demonstrating “discriminatory” practices by redirecting its emails to spam folders, thereby impeding its fundraising and voter mobilization efforts in critical swing states.

However, in August, U.S. District Judge Daniel Calabretta dismissed the RNC’s lawsuit for a second time, stating that the organization had not adequately demonstrated how Google violated California law regarding unfair competition. While acknowledging some sympathy towards the RNC’s concerns, the judge ruled against allowing the case to be refiled. Google welcomed the court’s decision, noting that it aligned with a bipartisan Federal Election Commission finding, which indicated that the company’s email platform did not exhibit political bias.

As this investigation unfolds, the debate over perceived biases in tech platforms and their impact on political discourse continues to heat up.