{"id":2324425,"date":"2024-08-14T13:23:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T17:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-oversight-investigating-google-and-facebook-for-possible-censorship-of-trump-assassination-attempt-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-14T13:27:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T17:27:41","slug":"house-oversight-investigating-google-and-facebook-for-possible-censorship-of-trump-assassination-attempt-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-oversight-investigating-google-and-facebook-for-possible-censorship-of-trump-assassination-attempt-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"House Oversight investigating Google and Facebook for possible \u2018censorship\u2019 of Trump assassination attempt &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhouse-oversight-investigating-google-and-facebook-for-possible-censorship-of-trump-assassination-attempt-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2324425&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman\u200c James Comer, are launching an \u2064investigation \u2063into \u2063Google and Meta\u200b (Facebook) regarding potential \u2062censorship and\u200c misinformation related to the assassination attempt on\u2062 former President Donald Trump last month. After receiving\u2064 reports \u2063that users searching for information\u200c about\u200d the incident \u2064were redirected\u200b to unrelated historical events, Comer has \u200breached out to the CEOs of both companies to seek clarification about their search \u200dalgorithms and AI functionalities. The \u200cinvestigation aims to determine if the tech\u2062 firms have\u2063 suppressed or altered critical\u2064 information about the assassination attempt, especially as \u200cit pertains\u2063 to public understanding\u2063 during \u200bthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/coddling-criminal-behavior-will-end-rick-scott-senate-republicans-promise-to-refund-police\/\" title=\"&#039;Coddling Criminal Behavior Will End&#039;: Rick Scott, Senate Republicans Promise to &#039;Refund Police&#039;\">presidential election season<\/a>. Comer expressed concern that AI \u200dsystems, such as those \u2063used by Meta, have mistakenly labeled \u2063real events as\u2062 fictional and \u200cprovided \u2064inaccurate responses. Meta \u200dhas \u200cacknowledged these issues and is working to\u2064 address them. The committee \u200chas requested \u200ddetailed responses from both\u200c companies \u200cregarding their information handling and updates reflecting recent news.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">House Oversight investigating Google and Facebook for possible &lsquo;censorship&rsquo; of Trump assassination attempt<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1729977\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>House Republicans are demanding information from Google and Facebook executives after receiving &ldquo;concerning reports&rdquo; that the two companies may be engaging in censorship or misinformation about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3118436\/trump-assassination-task-force-letters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>assassination attempt<\/a> against former President Donald Trump last month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In a letter sent to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, House Oversight Committee Chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>James Comer<\/a> (R-KY) announced he would open an investigation to determine whether the two companies have generated &ldquo;inaccurate or nongermane information&rdquo; about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3089037\/donald-trump-accepts-nomination-rnc-assassination-attempt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>shooting at Trump&rsquo;s Pennsylvania rally<\/a> on July 13. The investigation is one of several inquiries into the assassination attempt that resulted in the death of one rallygoer and injuries to two others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/081424-Google-Search-letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>In his request<\/a> to Pichai, Comer cited reports from Google users who attempted to research the assassination attempt on Trump but instead were referred to results for failed attempts on other former presidents, such as Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. In response, Comer requested information about how the Google search function is designed and &ldquo;updated to take into account and incorporate recent newsworthy events.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Americans rely upon prominent internet search engines such as Google to gather news and information critical to their understanding of national politics and events &mdash; and never more so than during a Presidential election season,&rdquo; Comer wrote to the Google CEO. &ldquo;On behalf of the American people, the Committee is dedicated to fully understanding when and how information is being suppressed or modified, whether it be due to technical error, a policy intended to ensure safety, or a specific intent to mislead.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Comer <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/081424-Meta-AI-Letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>requested similar information<\/a> from Meta, specifically criticizing the tech company&rsquo;s artificial intelligence capabilities over accusations it produces false information about the rally shooting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Oversight chairman cited reports that the Meta AI assistant claimed the assassination attempt on Trump was a &ldquo;fictional event&rdquo; despite having &ldquo;plenty to say about Democratic rival Kamala Harris&rsquo; run for the White House.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>When asked if the assassination attempt was real, the chatbot allegedly answered with: &ldquo;[There] was no real assassination attempt on Donald Trump. I strive to provide accurate and reliable information, but sometimes mistakes can occur,&rdquo; according to the letter. Meta later explained to the committee that it had configured the AI chatbot to avoid answering questions about the assassination attempt to avoid the spread of disinformation.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a known issue that AI chatbots, including Meta AI, are not always reliable when it comes to breaking news or returning information in real time,&rdquo; Vice President for U.S. Public Policy Joel Kaplan at Meta <a href=\"https:\/\/about.fb.com\/news\/2024\/07\/review-of-fact-checking-label-and-meta-ai-responses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said in a blog post<\/a>. &ldquo;In a small number of cases, Meta AI continued to provide incorrect answers, including sometimes asserting that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-top-5-takeaways-from-trumps-x-conversation-with-elon-musk-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"The top 5 takeaways from Trump&#039;s X conversation with Elon Musk - Washington Examiner\">event didn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t happen &mdash; which we are quickly working to address.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Comer requested responses from both tech executives no later than Aug. 28, although it&rsquo;s unclear when that information may be made public. Congress returns from its annual recess on Sept. 9.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The letters come as lawmakers thoroughly investigate the assassination attempt on Trump, sending a slew of letters to federal agencies earlier this week requesting documents and other information regarding security failures during the Pennsylvania campaign rally.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/apple-nordstrom-stores-hit-in-last-minute-smash-and-grab-robbery-in-california\/\" title=\"Apple, Nordstrom Stores Hit in Last Minute Smash-and-Grab Robbery in California\">special task force<\/a>, which was established shortly after the assassination attempt, sent letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. requesting documents and briefings from the agencies regarding the shooting. The letters seek to establish the task force as the primary investigative body, even as a handful of House committees have opened their own inquiries into the matter.<\/p>\n<p>The task force investigation is expected to conclude and produce a final report by Dec. 13, although lawmakers are expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-assassination-task-force-begins-with-slew-of-requests-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump assassination task force begins with slew of requests - Washington Examiner\">release interim reports<\/a> along the way, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1729977\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1729977\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>House Oversight Committee is probing Google and Facebook for potential &#8216;censorship&#8217; related to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. House Republicans are seeking information from executives at both companies following &#8220;alarming reports&#8221; suggesting they may be involved in censoring or spreading misinformation regarding the incident that occurred last month. In a letter addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced an investigation aimed at uncovering whether these companies have disseminated &#8220;inaccurate or irrelevant information&#8221; concerning the shooting during Trump&#8217;s rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. This inquiry is part of broader investigations into the assassination attempt, which resulted in one death and two injuries.<\/p>\n<p>Comer highlighted complaints from Google users who, while searching for details about the assassination attempt, were instead directed to results about unsuccessful attempts on other former presidents like Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He requested insights into how Google&#8217;s search algorithms are designed and updated to reflect significant news events.<\/p>\n<p>In his correspondence with Pichai, Comer emphasized that Americans depend on major search engines like Google for crucial news related to national politics\u2014especially during presidential election seasons\u2014and expressed a commitment to understanding when information might be suppressed or altered due to technical issues or intentional misleading practices.<\/p>\n<p>Comer also sought similar details from Meta, criticizing its AI capabilities amid allegations of it providing false information regarding the rally shooting. He referenced instances where Meta&#8217;s AI assistant labeled Trump&#8217;s assassination attempt as a &#8220;fictional event,&#8221; despite being able to discuss Kamala Harris&#8217;s presidential campaign extensively. When questioned about whether the assassination attempt was real, the chatbot reportedly responded by denying its occurrence but acknowledged that errors can happen.<\/p>\n<p>Meta later clarified that it had programmed its AI chatbot not to respond about this specific incident in order to prevent misinformation spread. Joel Kaplan, Vice President for U.S. Public Policy at Meta, noted in a blog post that AI chatbots often struggle with real-time news accuracy and admitted there were cases where incorrect responses were given regarding this event.<\/p>\n<p>Comer has requested replies from both tech leaders by August 28; however, it&#8217;s uncertain when this information will be made public as Congress reconvenes after recess on September 9. These letters coincide with ongoing investigations into Trump&#8217;s assassination attempt; lawmakers have sent numerous requests for documents related to security lapses during his Pennsylvania rally earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>A special task force formed shortly after the incident has reached out to key federal officials\u2014including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray\u2014for documents and briefings concerning the shooting as they aim to establish themselves as the main investigative body amidst various House committee inquiries into this matter. The task force plans to conclude its investigation by December 13 but will likely release interim findings beforehand according to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2324426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/trump-fist-2.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4573,6063,33576],"class_list":["post-2324425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-facebook","tag-google","tag-house-oversight"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/trump-fist-2.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2324425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2324425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2324425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2324425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}