Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has begun an investigation into Google over claims that the tech giant is suppressing conservative viewpoints ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Bailey, a Republican, intends to examine Google’s algorithms to see if they are pushing conservative content—especially information about former President Trump’s campaign—to later pages in search results, potentially limiting voters’ access to this information.
In an exclusive statement to FOX Business, Bailey expressed his concerns, describing Google’s practices as a “war on the Democratic process.”
He highlighted the significance of this upcoming election, calling it “the most consequential in our nation’s history,” and vowed to protect voters’ access to unbiased information.
Bailey’s office is preparing to issue a subpoena to Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, based in California, to gain more insight into how Google’s search engine operates and whether there is intentional bias in its algorithms.
His investigation is part of a broader scrutiny of major tech companies that many conservatives argue have shown bias in content moderation.
This is not the first investigation aimed at Google. Earlier this year, Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas launched a probe after the tech platform allegedly omitted certain search results linked to news involving a failed attempt on former President Trump’s life.
Conservatives have long argued that big tech companies, particularly Google, have exhibited selective filtering and deemphasis of conservative voices, impacting the information available to the public.
Google has not yet commented on Bailey’s recent announcement. Alphabet Inc.’s stock reflected minor movement following the news, with a slight rise in one ticker and a small decline in another.
With less than a year until the presidential election, Bailey’s investigation may signal a renewed push by Republican officials to hold tech companies accountable for what they view as selective interference in the democratic process. The findings of Bailey’s probe could potentially influence future regulations on tech giants accused of political bias.
This is a developing story, and updates will follow as more details emerge.