Republicans Investigate Google and Facebook Over Censorship Claims on Trump Assassination Attempt

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is demanding transparency from Google and Facebook regarding their search results related to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Following the shooting incident on July 13, where Trump was shot in the ear by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, users reported unusual search results on Google, which omitted information about the event. Google attributed this to a 'safety protocol' concerning potential assassination attempts on political leaders, stating that its autocomplete feature had not yet been updated to reflect the shooting. In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Comer highlighted that Facebook's AI assistant incorrectly labeled the assassination attempt as a "fictional event," raising concerns about the accuracy of information provided by the platform. He has requested all relevant policies and documents from both companies regarding their search algorithms and AI functionalities, emphasizing the importance of reliable information during a presidential election season. The investigation comes amid growing backlash from conservatives who allege that the tech giants are engaging in political suppression. Trump himself criticized both platforms for censoring images and information related to the assassination attempt, further fueling claims of bias. As Congress prepares to return from recess, lawmakers are intensifying their inquiries into the incident, with a final report expected by December 13. Comer has set a deadline of August 28 for responses from Google and Meta, although the timeline for public disclosure of the findings remains uncertain.