LIVE: Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies before Congress for the first time

Advertisement

09:57: The internet’s most notorious conspiracy theorist is here.

09:57: The internet’s most notorious conspiracy theorist is here.

That’s right — Alex Jones, of Infowars infamy is in the building.

He entered with Roger Stone (the veteran Republican operative), then started causing a scene while Stone was hanging back. Jones was screaming about being censored in the middle of the hallway, which prompted police to tell him they would arrest him if he didn't back up against the wall. He quickly cooperated and began screaming.

Jones is a regular fixture at events like these — he also turned up for Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s hearing, complaining of alleged conservative “censorship.”

Jones finally got booted off mainstream social media sites earlier this year after years of hoax-spreading, including lies about the parents of the Sandy Hook victims that led to vicious and sustained harassment from his supporters.

Advertisement

09:51: Sundar Pichai’s prepared remarks

The Google CEO’s introductory remarks were released ahead of time. They’re fairly anodyne, and pretty much what you’d expect: He affirms Google’s support of America and American values, tells his own story, and challenges any allegations of bias.

“We work hard to ensure the integrity of our products, and we’ve put a number of checks and balances in place to ensure they continue to live up to our standards. I lead this company without political bias and work to ensure that our products continue to operate that way. To do otherwise would go against our core principles and our business interests,” he will say, according to the document.

“We are a company that provides platforms for diverse perspectives and opinions — and we have no shortage of them among our own employees. Some of our Googlers are former servicemen and women who have risked much in defense of our country. Some are civil libertarians who fiercely defend freedom of expression. Some are parents who worry about the role technology plays in our households. Some—like me—are immigrants to this country, profoundly grateful for the freedoms and opportunities it offers. Some of us are many of these things.”

Advertisement