*By Carlo Versano* Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook's operating chief Sheryl Sandberg head to Capitol Hill Wednesday, but the hearing may be more about who's absent rather than who's there. "There's somebody missing from this conversation, and that would be Google," said Washington Post tech reporter Tony Romm. Dorsey and Sandberg will answer to members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and address Russian interference before Dorsey goes back-to-back with the House in a hearing probing whether Twitter is actively censoring certain political views (Twitter has [said](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-denies-company-censors-content-based-on-ideology) the platform has not). This will be the first time on the Hill for both executives. "It's all happening at a time when lawmakers are increasingly concerned that social media giants haven't done enough to clean up their acts," Romm said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar. Google has not offered its CEO Sundar Pichai or Larry Page, the chief of parent company Alphabet. Google instead offered Kent Walker, a lower-rung senior VP of global affairs and chief legal officer, but the Senate committee [demured](https://www.wired.com/story/mark-warner-senate-committee-hearing-google-facebook-twitter/), so it's possible that Wednesday's hearings will produce a striking image of Sandberg and Dorsey sitting next to an empty chair. Romm said he expects it will be a day of "huge PR hits" for Google. "From the perspective of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that wasn't enough," said Romm of Google's offering. Google, for its part, has argued that it's ready and willing to dispatch employees with the most knowledge about a given subject ー and in this case, that may mean Walker. But lawmakers want CEOs and decision-makers. "That's where the buck stops," Romm said. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/facebook-twitter-executives-to-face-capitol-hill-grilling).

Share:
More In Technology
Sex is a big market for the AI industry. ChatGPT won’t be the first to try to profit from it
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will soon engage in "erotica for verified adults." CEO Sam Altman says the company aims to allow more user freedom for adults while setting limits for teens. OpenAI isn't the first to explore sexualized AI, but previous attempts have faced legal and societal challenges. Altman believes OpenAI isn't the "moral police" and wants to differentiate content similar to how Hollywood differentiates R-rated movies. This move could help OpenAI, which is losing money, turn a profit. However, experts express concerns about the impact on real-world relationships and the potential for misuse.
Load More