'Google’s Actions are Attack on Independent Political Thought' – Journalist

Two Republican lawmakers have called for an investigation into Google following revelations about the tech giant's bias towards conservative media.

Radio Sputnik has discussed the revelations with Danny Haiphong, an independent journalist in the NYC area.

Sputnik: Why would Google allow its algorithms to be biased against conservative media? Who is behind this?

Danny Haiphong: Well, I think, it actually stretches beyond just conservative media and it's interesting now that this is getting coverage because for the last few years Google has actually been altering its algorithms to combat so-called fake news. This has included conservative media outlets, but also a lot of left-wing media outlets. Basically, who is behind this, is the corporate media: The Washington Post, New York Times.

They've been able to align with the US deep state, the US intelligence apparatus as well, the social media outlets, the big corporate outlets, like Google, Facebook, which have all kind of coalesce to stop so-called fake news. Basically, this is a campaign to squash any criticism to the US ruling class and the US corporate state, generally.

Sputnik: We know the development comes amid endless accusations of Russian interference; it's been that way for the last two years in terms of the current affairs. How could Google's actions be qualified, do you think?  

Danny Haiphong: Well, I think, we qualify these actions as a real attack on independent political thought. I write for Black Agenda Report and ever since 2016 November, after Donald Trump won, we have received similar attacks on Google, where our content has been suppressed and squashed and it's much more difficult to find our work.

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So, all of this is to say that the endless accusations of so-called Russian interference, in the US elections in particular, has produced a political environment that is hostile to any criticism of the two-party state, especially the Democratic Party right now, which is increasingly weakening in the electoral arena and is looking for the US intelligence apparatus to save it.

So, all these baseless accusations against the Russian government, which so far have been proven and found to be just baseless, without any evidence to prove the claims, are all about not only increasing the war drive against the Russian government that the United States has been fostering for the last decade, or so, but also to ensure that conditions in the United States are favourable to those ends.    

Sputnik: Danny, you've just alluded to the issue with Russian interference, in terms of it's been two years and there has been no concrete evidence even from the Mueller investigation. Why is this particular story, regarding Google not having any media focus? Why aren't the Americans talking about this to any depth like they are the Russian situation, for example?

Danny Haiphong: Well, I think that people in the United States, they have no options in terms of independent media. What Google is doing is suppressing the only content available for ordinary people to seek, when they go online, because, when they turn on the television, all they see are the big multinational corporations, like MSNBC, CNN, and even Fox News that hold a monopoly on the narrative.

So, people in the United States really only hear one side. They hear about how amazing Robert Mueller is in terms of challenging Trump, regarding Russia, but there is no questioning on these outlets as to whether this investigation is even legitimate. So, what we have is left-wing media as well as conservative media that challenges the establishment, being suppressed, while ordinary Americans are mostly in the dark about it.

Sputnik: What's going to be done, do you think to rein in Google? Do you think there will be reined, or will it just be able to allow to continue, as it has done?

Danny Haiphong: I don't think that there is any possibility with the array of forces right now with Washington so much in the pockets of corporations, like Google. I do think that the left-wing commentators like myself, left-wing activists, organizers, need to start thinking about how to challenge the grip of corporations, like Google and should not oppose efforts by Republicans, or whoever it may be too challenge these corporations.

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We need to have our own analysis, we need to think about this independently and understand that it's not a bad thing, that this conversation is happening in Washington. So, I don't think it will yield immediate results, but I do think that the story needs to be thought about in the context of a broader information war, being waged against independent journalists and thinkers and activists, and we need to be a part of that conversation at that place. So, we can rein in Google, we can wage a real struggle to ensure that the truth is available to ordinary Americans.   

The views expressed in this article are solely those of Danny Haiphong and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.